Hints of Deception
by Lily Kalanoa
Summary: Story 3 in the Reputation Universe. Iruka and Kakashi have been together for a year now and Iruka has banished the darker parts of his past. Their relationship still faces threats however, and now Iruka must deal with one he would have glady never faced.
1. Homecoming

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints (Title may change)

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: None yet for the anime or manga (haven't finished, this may change) Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author** **Notes**: I am so evil. You know, 'Reputation' is easily my most successful fic and one of my proudest acheivments to date, I think. I really do like having a little universe all my own . . . though I wish I could get it hosted elsewhere, for those that don't like ff . net and for sheer bragging rights. Oh well, no matter – the latest plot bunny for the Reputation story arc! I hope you all like it XD. An extremely short first chapter, but that's mostly 'cause I want some reactions, especially from people that have read the rest of this arc. Oh, this is not NEARLY as dark as those, by the way, though still mature audiences only. And on an only slightly related topic, I have ideas for two more 'big' stories and one little one (I don't remember who wanted to see Shino teaching Iruka's class, but I AM working on it). I hope I can get those out for you all, but since I'm starting to post this, it takes priority. Anyway, do enjoy, please review!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi paused in a high tree, looking around at the snow-bleached scenery. Well, they didn't call it Snow Country for nothing, he supposed. It had a sort of dead beauty to it, but the jounin wasn't admiring the view. He cast a quick jutsu, juggling a flame briefly between his hands to warm them, and tried to spot the people following him. He knew they were there, several of them, but he hadn't been able to spot them yet.

His mission was fairly routine; Konoha had been hired by a large company to protect them in the little war they'd started with another company. It had escalated to the point that Kakashi had needed to use his skills and even been ambushed by the ninja the other company had hired. He'd won, of course, and his client had defeated their rival in the field, putting an end to the fighting. Kakashi was glad, thrilled at the chance to be going home.

These people weren't from the mission, though, they weren't even from Snow Country. Kakashi jerked back, willingly falling from his perch as the trap was suddenly sprung. A kunai buried itself in the barren tree where his head had been; Kakashi threw his dying fireball towards the source, knowing the attacker had already moved. Shadows appeared all around him, five of them, moving fast and blocking his escape routes. Kakashi was already casting another jutsu, releasing the final seal as he hit the packed snow.

Three of the shadows were caught by surprise as the ground disintegrated, reverting to slush under their feet. A second hastily cast jutsu had it frozen again around them, trapping them as Kakashi dashed past. More appeared and Kakashi scowled, consciously uncovering the sharingan. They were clones, the actual ninja nowhere in sight, but that didn't make them any less dangerous. At least four different men, dressed in white, their headbands hidden beneath a combination of thick goggles and big hoods. At least three clones of each.

Deciding to change tactics, Kakashi leapt into the air, propelling himself up into the trees once more. The clones followed without pause, but Kakashi was a Leaf Ninja, he knew better how to fight up here. Several of the clones tried to get in front of him and Kakashi paused as if to decide what to do. When he leapt straight up a second later, the clones seemed startled. Kakashi rather wished he could see their expressions when the tag he left behind leveled that tree and three around it; he heard several soft pops as the clones failed.

Kakashi's eyes widened and he caught at a branch to stop his momentum much faster than his shoulder was happy about. Stretched between the trees was a grid of thin wires, crossing and criss-crossing again and again. They'd been expecting him and had set their trap well. Checking below him that the way to the ground was clear, Kakashi dropped off the branch again, quickly casting an earth jutsu to tunnel beneath the snow. Mind working frantically, he took stock of the situation. There were five of them at least, the three he'd frozen would be free by now and he had no guarantee they weren't shadow clones as well. His snow tunnel would only buy him a few seconds before they did something to force him above ground again and he didn't know where his actual enemies were. All and all a very bad situation.

The Copy Nin burst from the ground before they could figure a way to force him out. His hands flew through seals, sending little snow bullets at his attackers in a hastily modified attack of Gaara's. The last of the clones dealt with, he whirled in a tight circle, sharp eyes searching for the real opponents.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka stretched beneath his warm blanket, something trying to drag him from sleep. After a moment, a slightly calloused hand brushed against the nape of his neck and the teacher was instantly awake. His mind tallied his apartment in seconds – bedroom window open, silence outside, no lights on, door shut and locked, Kakashi's rich scent. "You're back from your mission?"

The hand paused and Kakashi's voice chuckled slightly in the darkness. "I didn't mean to wake you."

Iruka shifted, turning around to look at his lover. "Well you did. How'd it go?" Kakashi had been gone for more than a week on a mission somewhere in Snow Country. He was expected back the day before, but no one was surprised when he didn't show up on time. Even for big missions, punctuality was not something the masked ninja held very dear.

Kakashi huffed slightly and slipped onto the mattress, sliding behind the drowsy teacher. "I came to see you first thing, just got back." He bent slightly, nibbling at the brunette's neck through his mask. "It was long and cold and boring. I missed you."

Iruka giggled. "I'm not helping you with your report. If you don't turn it in before noon tomorrow, I'm volunteering you for the next time Jenny-hime decides to visit." The man behind him gave a little moan and Iruka tried to stifle a giggle. "I'm glad you're back, love."

"You have no idea how glad I am to be with you." The silver haired man nuzzled the neck in front of him. "You have class tomorrow?"

"Ka-kun, it's the middle of the week, of course I have class. I have to be up in-" he twisted to look at the alarm clock and groaned loudly "-barely three hours."

"Then you should get back to sleep. I'll put off my welcome party until tomorrow." With a small tug, Kakashi pulled back so the two of them fell onto the bed again, Iruka still pressed to his chest. "Goodnight, 'Ruka."

The teacher sighed happily; he'd missed the feel of these arms around him at night. "Goodnight, love."


	2. Home by Another Name

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints (Title may change)

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: None yet for the anime or manga (haven't finished, this may change) Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author** **Notes**: Well, not nearly enough reviews for my taste, but I post the next chapter anyway. I haven't finished writing this out, so until I do, I'm only posting once a week. Thank you everyone who did read, but maybe another couple reviews this time? I would be ever so grateful! Thanks Onawa! I'm glad you like this world . . . you realise it's existed for about a year? I was finishing Reputation last new years . . . blush thanks hide.behind.green.eyes and I love your name. And MikaSamu person, you make me squee I personally think I suck at writing fight scenes . . . yet there's like three in this fic, at Least . . . anyway, thanks you guys and any others. Sadly the chapters are insisting on being a little short, but it's all good. Please enjoy and I'll try not to forget to post next Friday!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi's breath was deep and even, keeping his mind focused and calm. For the first time in hours, the only pain he felt was from his hands. He took the moment of peace to pray Iruka was safe. He didn't want to think about what these people could do to his love, they'd managed to capture him after all.

He flexed his arms experimentally; this was the first chance he'd actually had to test his bonds. His elbows were bound together while his wrists were attached to a small metal bar, keeping them separated. It was an ingenious method, rendering his arms completely useless. His fingers had also been broken, preventing any jutsus. Kakashi took another calming breath – he was in serious trouble here.

There was the shuffle of footfalls behind him and Kakashi focused on the noise instantly. After a moment, the ninja stepped into his field of vision, looking calmly at the bound jounin. "And how are we feeling?"

Kakashi said nothing, face perfectly calm. The ninja frowned at him. "As long as you remember what we told you. If we find out any of the information you gave us was wrong, your little teacher will feel the consequences."

They'd been watching him for a while now, Kakashi knew. Long enough that the man they sent in already had a nearly flawless henge and knew a good deal of his mannerisms. Long enough that they could get in and go unnoticed for quite some time, at least long enough to get close to Iruka and threaten his life. Without Kakashi's help, they would not have gotten much further than that, so they had 'encouraged' him to give them more details.

Kakashi was willing to die to protect his village. He knew Iruka was as well. But this was more than that; if he merely told them nothing or something obviously wrong, the agent would be killed and these people would just try again, maybe go after someone else. So he'd given them information, the truth in many cases, though he'd had to wait through their persuasion long enough to make it seem plausible. He prayed Iruka was all right. He prayed even harder that the teacher was smart enough to notice the little inconsistencies his 'lover' would be doing and saying. And he prayed the teacher would know enough not to endanger himself or the village.

-o-o-o-o-o-

The alarm went off just as it was programmed to and Iruka rolled quickly, silencing it with barely a thought. He blinked for several moments, bleary eyes struggling to focus on the numbers and hazy brain remembering that, yes, he really did have to get out of bed now. He sat up, swinging his legs over the edge and shivering slightly as the warmth of the blanket faded. He yawned widely and stood, only then noticing his bed was empty.

Iruka blinked, trying to remember why that felt wrong. Yes, he remembered Kakashi had come home in the middle of the night. Had he left again once Iruka had fallen asleep? The teacher frowned, he really didn't think Kakashi would do that, but he must have. Maybe he'd taken the Jenny threat seriously and had gone to finish his mission report. Shaking off the feeling of unease, Iruka stood and went to the kitchen to get some breakfast,

Warm miso soup and hastily prepared rice balls and Iruka was on his way to class. The morning air was cool, the chill of winter starting to invade late fall. The slight chill affected Iruka more than the muggy days of summer did, sapping his energy. Winter always drained him, the bleary landscape dragging his mood down. It wasn't that late yet, the trees still sporting their colorful leaves. October was only just coming to a close, but Iruka could feel winter sneaking up on him.

"Iruka!"

The teacher paused, turning at the rough voice. A smile split his face. "Morning, Tohiro."

The man jogged the few steps to catch up to the other teacher. He spoke slowly, his voice a strange whisper, a testament to a bad injury a few months back. "I hear that thing got back last night."

Iruka shook his head. 'That thing' was Kakashi and the two men's hatred was quite familiar by now. "Yes, he's home again. Why?"

Tohiro shrugged. "Just breaks my heart that he wasn't killed, you know, the usual." The man shot Iruka a little smile, letting him know he wasn't completely serious. "Send him my way next time I'm on desk duty, would ya? The Inuzukas need help cleaning."

Iruka laughed a little. "I'll make sure he gets the message." The two spent the rest of their walk in mindless chatter, commenting on the weather and the progress of the various classes of young ninja. When they finally reached the school gates, Iruka smiled and held the door for the other man. "I've got to set up for a weapons demo today, I'll see you later Tohiro-san."

The man nodded. "See ya 'Ru-ah! Iruka."

The slip actually made Iruka smile. No one in the village used that particular nickname anymore except by mistake, it had spread that he hated it, though most still remained unawares to the reason why. Tohiro knew, which explained the small amount of panic that made the man duck his head and hurry away, but aside from the occasional slip, he pretended none of it had ever happened.

Iruka froze suddenly, smile draining away along with the color in his face. He hadn't even noticed last night when Kakashi had muttered the name, but now it turned his stomach. His mood plummeted, even knowing it had to be a simple mistake, as he stalked to his classroom. After so long without seeing the silver-haired man, it wore on Iruka to have his homecoming tainted by something so stupid. Setting up for the day's lesson, Iruka struggled to put it out of his mind.

By the time lunch came around, Iruka had successfully forgotten the incident. He sat behind his desk as he finished the lecture he was giving. At this point, the children were staring at the clock, barely listening to him, and no one noticed when their teacher paused mid sentence. There was no sound, barely a flicker in chakra, but Iruka could feel his lover suddenly materialize beneath his desk. He struggled with the lecture, trying to finish without letting his children know anything was out of the ordinary while his mind chased several ideas around as to _why_ Kakashi had decided to pay him a visit.

The bell toned and Iruka finished his sentence, nodding at the children that they could leave for lunch. He didn't stand, doing what little he could to keep Kakashi's presence a secret. The children left in a miniature hurricane and Iruka tensed, feeling hands on his thighs. The door closed behind the last ninja-to-be about the same time the teacher's fly was tugged down. Iruka pushed back from his desk almost violently, glaring at the impish look on his lover's face. "What do you think you're doing!" he hissed angrily.

Kakashi took hold of the chair, pulling it forward again until the teacher's waist was within easy reach again. One hand stayed on the piece of furniture while the other went to the teacher's fly again. "I waited until they were gone."

Iruka groaned a little despite himself. It _had_ been two weeks. "Kakashi-" he warned, but it held little threat.

The masked man leaned forward, nuzzling the obvious proof that Iruka was enjoying himself no matter what he actually said. "I just thought, since I got home so late . . ." he trailed off, tugging his mask down and giving the teacher a firm lick before pulling up to look him in the eyes. "I even filed my mission report, so I get bonus points, right?"

Iruka was having a very difficult time thinking straight. He couldn't get out a coherent answer before the silver haired man descended on his lips, drawing him into a breath-stealing kiss. Long fingered hands began to wander, carefully slipping beneath cloth without actually removing anything to dance and scrape over the teacher's chest. "Ka-kun," Iruka gasped in the few seconds his lips were freed between kisses. "My kids."

The other didn't respond, melding their lips together once more. He avoided Iruka's rapidly growing erection, but kept his hands moving over his chest and back, ensuring that the erection was, indeed, growing. After ten minutes of this, Iruka was moaning against him, hands traveling over his body in an attempt to incite the same response. It was then that Kakashi pushed his chair back, disentangling from the teacher.

Iruka squeaked at him in open disappointment. "What-"

"I should let you eat before the little monsters come back," the other said with a grin, pulling his mask back into place.

Iruka frowned a little, his brow knitting. "Wait, what? You're leaving?"

He leaned forward, planting a masked kiss on the teacher's cheek. "You keep telling me to. This is your school after all." His hands were still tracing patterns, on top of his shirt this time. "I'll see you after class, 'Ruka. We can continue this then."

With a sudden pop and a breeze, he was gone, leaving Iruka to gasp in the empty room. Groaning again, the teacher lay his head on his desk, breathing deeply to try and calm down and quickly fixing his pants. It was going to be a long, long afternoon.

It was a full hour before Iruka realized he'd done it again. He was writing on the board, his back to the students, when he simply stopped moving. Kakashi had called him 'Ruka again. He'd been thoroughly distracted and hadn't noticed until now, but he had.

"Sensei?"

Kakashi wouldn't do that. He _knew_ better. He was almost more likely to talk about Mizuki with Iruka than use that nickname and now he'd said it twice in twelve hours. Iruka's eyes narrowed, running over what he knew of the man's mission and for the first time in close to a year he wished he still worked the mission desk regularly. He'd gone to Snow Country, but it hadn't been that dangerous. A rank, but that was just because there were other ninja involved, possible attacks, and it was a one-person job.

Behind him the children were shifting restlessly, confused at their teacher's behavior. "Sensei?"

Iruka felt his brow crease and he quickly finished writing. "Everyone copy this down and then write me a one page paper on the weapon of your choice." A chorus of groans, but Iruka barely noticed, still focused on his boyfriend's odd behavior. Kakashi was normally almost neurotic about making sure Iruka didn't get caught up in memories of the past. He _wouldn't_ use that nickname so casually without a reason. Appear in his classroom for an unexpected make out session and then leave him wanting? Yes, that was _exactly_ like Kakashi, but the name wasn't.

Terrified by the frown creasing Iruka's face, the children wrote out their essays in silence. They listened attentively and without a sound for the rest of the school day.


	3. Far From Home

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception (Title will change officially next week)

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author** **Notes**: Hi all! Sorry this is so late – I spent the weekend at Yaoi Con in San Fransisco and didn't have internet on my laptop. So, many appologies, but it was awesome beyond words. As reward, I'm going to try to post two chapters a week from now on. I don't know if I'll succeed, but I'll try. I know where the story is going and how it will end, but a couple sections are being difficult. In any case, Friday will be chapter 4 regardless, and next week for sure. Anyway, I'm impressed. After chapter 2 was up about 12 hours, I had only one review, but views had already doubled! So obviously I have people watching for this, and it's really good to see some familiar names, too – Hey Zelda! I know some others read Reputation and BD, but Zelda's a name I actually recognize from reviewing practically every chapter. Reily! (does glomp the former Reily) Anise now, I can remember that. Of course I remember you! Actually many thanks for telling me you are you – you're the one that gave me the idea for the first time Kakashi gets sent away on a mission! Grr, but you're still anonymous, so you're making my notes long, oh well. Anyway!

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi was acting like himself, Iruka freely admitted. When he'd said 'after class' he had apparently meant dinner time, more than three hours after Iruka dismissed his children. Iruka had already started a meal and as it was warming, he made a circuit around the house, cleaning the few stray messes. Cleaning helped relax him. His home was small, though twice the size of his old apartment, and it didn't take long to tidy it up. Easily the worst room was the one that had been split in two, half dedicated to Iruka's teaching things, half to Kakashi's rather impressive literature collection.

When Iruka made his way back to the kitchen, Kakashi was stretched out at the dining table, feet propped in a second chair, casually reading. A glance revealed the book to be Icha Icha Tactics and Iruka blushed slightly, focusing on cooking and ignoring his suddenly-there boyfriend. All perfectly normal, by Kakashi standards at least. After several minutes of silence, the masked jounin let out a miniscule sigh. "Did I do something wrong?"

Iruka didn't pause in his actions, restraining a sigh himself. How to explain, how to say something without coming off as paranoid and accusative. "No, you didn't do anything."

Kakashi stood, his strong presence at Iruka's back, the warmth seeping into him. "Iru-chan, tell me what's wrong?"

Iruka melted. All the tension drained away from him and he blushed a little at how much impact a single word could have on him. Quietly he turned in his love's arms, tilting his head up to place a kiss over masked lips. "Nothing's wrong," he said as he pulled away. "It was silly. I've just missed you is all."

Kakashi shifted, pulling his mask down and kissing Iruka properly. "I missed you, too." Another kiss and a slight chuckle. "But your noodles are burning."

Iruka yelped and cursed, spinning and pulling the pot off the heat. Kakashi wisely backed away, letting the frantic teacher salvage their supper. He watched Iruka as they ate; every time the teacher looked up he blushed at the look in the other man's eyes. He was almost predatory in his intensity . . . Iruka had never felt quite so scandalized eating _spaghetti_ before.

Plates cleaned of food, Kakashi didn't let Iruka get them to the sink before capturing him in another searing kiss. The brunette didn't fight, content to have his very soul drunk away if it meant he could stay in his lover's arms. After a minute though, he shifted, turning his head enough that he could speak. "Bed," he gasped. A low chuckle was his only response as the taller man pulled him along the hallway for a much anticipated homecoming.

Both men were stripped even before they reached the bedroom, clothing littering their short path as hands roamed freely across skin. Kakashi bent, nibbling at Iruka's neck seconds before they tumbled over onto the sheets. The teacher groaned as the other slowly worked down, nipping and biting a path down his chest to tease first one bud of a nipple and then the other. All the want and need from earlier that day came rushing back and Iruka fisted his hands in silver hair, trying to urge him to keep going.

Kakashi gave a little grunt and raked one hand down the other's ribs. Iruka gasped and arched, a slight whine coming from his throat as Kakashi finally took his length into his mouth. The silver haired man laughed again, sending shivers all through Iruka. Not bothering to look, Iruka groped at the bedside table until his hand came away with the small bottle of oil they kept there. It had been too long and he wanted this too badly to wait any longer and he made sure Kakashi knew it as he shoved the lubricant at him.

"Gods," Kakashi breathed barely a minute later as he buried himself. Iruka's hands were at his back, tracing along invisible lines, making him shiver even more. With an almost desperate need, he pushed up, capturing the teacher's mouth again as they both raced towards their personal heaven.

Spent and sated, the two men collapsed in each other's arms. After a moment, Iruka reached for the bedtable again, this time for a small cloth to clean off his stomach. With a mumble, he jabbed Kakashi in the ribs until he repositioned and they could both crawl under the covers. "Ka-kun?" There was a slightly sleepy mumble and Iruka closed his eyes, nuzzling into the missed warmth. "Don't scare me like that again, all right?"

There was a pause, but then a hand went to his neck, stroking the delicate hair there. "I promise," he finally murmered.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi woke suddenly and just as suddenly realized it meant he'd been asleep for some time. It shouldn't have been a surprise, this was easily the most stressed he'd been in years and he'd lost a good amount of blood already. There were no windows here, no way to guage time acurately, but his internal clock was telling him it was the middle of the night. The thought made him frown deeply; he would start to get truly hungry soon and thirst would be an issue. An easy way to manipulate a prisoner, he was well aware. Pain and torture aside, it would get much more difficult from here on.

His eye was hurting, giving him a headache and yet another worry. His captors had taken both his mask and hitai-ate, leaving the sharingan uncovered. It didn't affect his capture any since he could hardly move and the ninja holding him weren't using any jutsu, but he had no way to stop the flow of energy. It was beginning to wear on him, draining what little strength he had left.

Movement to his left.

Kakashi shut his eyes, focusing on the image he needed to portray. He was going to have to work hard at getting out of this, but his image he could at least still control. By showing these people a carefully constructed mask, Kakashi could control their actions and plan accordingly. The man stopped in front of him and Kakashi looked up – strong, determined not to give them anything, but scared as well. He let his eyes glance at the kunai the man held, communicating that fear quite clearly.

Kakashi still didn't know what these people wanted, but he'd finally been able to identify them as missing nin. The one in front of him now was small, but with wild eyes that reminded him of Ibiki, possibly an specialist at interrigation. He shifted his grip on the weapon, swaying it in a way that was meant to draw Kakashi's eye again before lifting the point to press against his cheek. "You've been tricking us, haven't you?" the man asked, his voice soft and gentle, matching his body but not his actions.

Kakashi said nothing, staring at the man defiantly. Even he couldn't repress a shiver though as the small weapon at his face ghosted along his skin, tracing his old scar up to the bottom of his eye. "Whatever you've done, you did it well, but you can't think it will work. You're risking that teacher's life giving him hints at all, how could you possibly think a chunin with no field experience could even stand aginst us?"

Kakashi took his cue gladly, spitting venom at the man. Outrage, wanting to defend his lover's honor. "'Ruka's been Jounin for a year! He's more than capable-" He stopped as the man flexed, drawing blood and forcing his head to the side. Kakashi didn't dare move, knowing he could lose his eye again without the other even trying hard. But after a shaky breath he growled slightly. "I swear if you hurt him . . ."

All of this was actually very good news. If they were threatening him again it meant that Iruka had figured something out. If they were questioning him, it meant they didn't know what had tipped the teacher off, and as long as he didn't let anything slip, their man would mess up again. _Please Iruka, please be safe and figure it out!_

The man pulled back slightly and Kakashi looked back at him. Cautious hope, but still guarded. Any interregator worth his rank would take advantage of such emotion, but so long as he did, Kakashi would know he was still in some control. The man moved slowly, trailing the kunai across skin as he brought it down to his neck. The move then was fast enough that it didn't hurt at first, but the line of blood was only centimeters from the artery, stinging sharply with every pulse beat after a moment of shock. He placed the tip of the kunai under Kakashi's chin, tilting his head upward. "Have you given us reason to hurt him? What plans have you been scheming, Copy Nin?" He paused, leaning close so that his breath tickled across Kakashi's ear. "If you've lied to us, he _will_ suffer. Don't fool yourself that he could escape when our man is wrapped around him in bed."

Just words, meant to shock him, pull at his emotions the same way he was cutting at flesh. The truth in them burned at the back of Kakashi's mind, but he didn't allow himself to think about that. He'd already known it would happen, there was no sense in getting upset when he needed that energy for other things. Iruka would be fine, and if they were stupid enough to actually have sex with the teacher, it was just another chance for him to realize it _wasn't_ Kakashi he was with.

The questioner's words hadn't gotten the reaction he had wanted and he pulled back slightly, frowning. Kakashi saw the hesitation and was moving before he consciously thought about it. His hands shot up, catching the kunai at one wrist. The blade cut deeply into his flesh, but it weakened the rope enough that he could snap it. The ninja reacted instantly, tipping the weapon so it cut even deeper. Kakashi ignored the wound, closing his wrists together and using the foot long spreader bar as a club. In two moves, the other man was disarmed and Kakashi had hold of the weapon, slicing through the rest of his bonds.

He'd nearly made it to the door of the small room before his interegator let out a cry of rage. The door burst open and Kakashi was suddenly met with two of his other attackers. Metal bar in one hand and kunai in the other, he was reasonably sure he could at least get away from them, take to ground somewhere until it was safe to get back to Konoha. The man in front of him made an obvious feignt, trying to box Kakashi in. The copy nin ignored him, reading the move as easily as if it were his books and darted for the opening he left. The other ninja, a woman with a scarred face, intercepted him and Kakashi struck at her with his weapons.

The world went suddenly fuzzy and tilted slightly in a way that was far too familiar to the copy nin. Not now, not now! His attack at the woman went wide, but it forced her out of the way and Kakashi made a break for it, pouring chakra into his legs for the added speed. He'd lost too much blood, the strain of his eye was too much already, he was going to pass out. Behind him, the breeze of a strong punch tugged at his shirt as the male ninja missed him by scant milimeters. Kakashi ran faster.

Ahead, two clones bared the path, copies of the little guy that had been questioning him. Kakashi darted close to one wall before suddenly shifting to the other, throwing off their perception slightly. He still couldn't form an effective jutsu, but a simple ki blast didn't require any hand signs. Without warning, his vision went white, blurring his opponants beyond recognition. Kakashi continued the attack, working from memory and what little he could make out, but he wasn't surprised when he felt something slip under his guard, hitting him hard in the chest. He slammed back into the wall before his footing failed and he hit the ground.

Kakashi twisted mid-fall so that he faced the corner the wall made with the floor and tried to force his fingers to work. He used the blood from his neck, forcing his hands together and pressing them against the wall. He couldn't summon Pakkun, but if he was lucky, he could manage another of his pups. He could hear his captors scream something and could feel the pull on his already strained chakra, but it was all beyond his comprehension. The effort tapped him out and Kakashi slipped into unconsciousness again, fully expecting to be killed before he had a chance to wake up.


	4. Putting on a Smile

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception (Title will change officially next chapter)

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author** **Notes**: Okay, there's a bunch I have to say this time. First, the reviews! MikaSamu – you're too kind to me! (blushes) I personally don't think I'm good at writing battles – though I admit these are coming out well – so thanks a lot. Then Hen goes and says this may be my best story yet, thanks! Love and Death and Teenagersscareme – You're both so nice! I update for all of you. Hi Anise! (waves) Yeah, I'm super mean to Iruka . . . Kakashi too, but somehow not as much. In all honesty, I think most of your questions are answered this chapter! . . . no, wait, only some. And on that note – Hurray! The chapters are finally letting me make them longer! I figured something out, too – every story I make Iruka interact with a different higher up. Reputation it was Tsunade, BD it was Hiashi Hyuga, and this time it's . . . a surprise until he shows up . . . and frightening, really I scare myself sometimes. Anyway – have fun with this and look for the next chapter on Monday. Oh! And I also realized how little citrus there was in this story – I promise there's at least two yummy scenes near the end, plus a couple good doses of fluff, look forward to that my reader-luvs.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka's eyes snapped open, desperately trying to dispell the lingering dream. He shut his eyes for a moment-

-Mizuki leaning over him, hands bound to the headboard, pounding on the door, he was trapped, they were all going to find out-

He forced his eyes open again, taking deep, shaking breaths. He tensed, feeling a hand above him before it lowered to his shoulder, rubbing gently and reassuring. Iruka looked up, meeting Kakashi's eyes with a bit of surprise. It was unusual for the man to admit he was awake, Iruka must have been tossing in his sleep pretty badly for such a reaction.

_Do you want to talk about it?_ Iruka never did, but Kakashi always asked . . . Iruka stiffened slightly, several things clicking into place at once. Kakashi was saying nothing, he'd admitted to being awake, his _mask_ was rumpled around his _neck_. The teacher moved forward, burrying his face in the man's chest and breathing his scent deeply. The smell was right, the _feel_ was right. But something was very wrong with the situation. Iruka forced his body to relax and drift back towards sleep as he would if nothing was out of place.

Kakashi was trying to warn him about something, Iruka was positive now. But he was being subtle, clearly he wanted Iruka to continue to act normally. The question was why. What was wrong, what was he trying to tell him? And far more important, why couldn't he simply tell Iruka out loud? There were several possibilities from being monitored to being under a jutsu to – Iruka repressed a shudder, turning it into a snuggle instead – to this man not being Kakashi at all. Regardless of the reason, Iruka had to play dumb for now, at least until he better knew what he was dealing with.

After his scare, Iruka wasn't quite able to get back to sleep, managing only a light meditation to help his body rest. Because of this, he felt when his bed shifted, Kakashi moving slowly so as not to wake him as he got up. Iruka's alarm hadn't even gone off. Kakashi often woke before the teacher, usually running off to the memorial stone or the training grounds, but never right after a mission and _never_ if Iruka had a nightmare. The teacher forced himself to feign sleep, not giving the slightest indication he was awake until the door clicked shut behind the fleeing jounin.

Iruka sat up slowly, a yawn tearing its way from his lips as his eyes darted around the room. Nothing seemed out of place, but if Kakashi was being watched, the device would be on him anyway, not his home. Why would someone want to watch him? Iruka frowned as he stood to dress. It certainly didn't seem likely, but it was possible. Enemy ninja may be using Kakashi to learn about Konoha and its citizens.

Something was going on and Kakashi either wouldn't or couldn't tell Iruka about it. There were several jutsus that could bind a person from talking about a specific subject, at least for a time. If that were the case and something was wrong, Kakashi would definitely try and tip Iruka off to it. Except that unless he was being watched at the same time, he would do something far more drastic than simply sleeping with his mask down.

Everything came back to an imposter. Someone skilled and strong, getting most of the details right but not everything.

Iruka shook his head, bounding out the door without breakfast. It was far too soon to be thinking along those lines. Not until he had more to base his suspicions on. With his luck, it was going to be some sort of training mission – see how quick the school teacher figures things out.

But if it _was_ an imposter . . .

Iruka hurried along the streets to the mission desk. Kotetsu was reclined in the seat, his feet propped on the large piece of furniture, yawning at the empty room. Almost no one came in this early and certainly not teachers with class starting in less than an hour. He blinked at Iruka before carefully sitting up straight. "Help you?"

Iruka put on his best smile, pretending again that nothing was bothering him. "I'm checking on Kakashi. He _has_ turned in his mission report, hasn't he?"

With a frown, the chunin dug through recently received files before pulling one out. "Yeah, right here." Iruka welcomed the tiny bit of relief that brought and started forcing his mind away from the issue. Kotetsu frowned though, thumbing through the report. "Iruka, the Hokage's gonna have your head, you know."

The teacher didn't have to try to look confused, but also shrugged it off slightly. "Kakashi's reports are always a little out of sorts," he said softly.

"That doesn't mean you can finish them for him, Iruka. You worked here for years, I know you know how bad they can be, but it's better to deal with the mess than have to explain why he's suddenly following procedure. Tsunade's not going to be happy when she sees this."

Iruka was struggling not to blink like a stunned goldfish. "I didn't . . . I mean . . . I just . . . just didn't think . . . I'm sorry." This was bad, this was so incredibly bad. He bowed his head to the other man, smothering the suspicions that all suddenly sprang to mind. "If you get pinned for it, just rat me out, all right?"

Kotetsu smiled, putting the report away again. "Like I'd take the fall for you two. Have a good class, Sensei."

Iruka tossed a cheery wave over his shoulder as he left, but his face was dark, his worst fears all but confirmed. It was such an incredibly long shot that such a lapse in his normal lazy behavior would raise alarms, but combined with everything else the teacher had noticed the last day, he was certain now that Kakashi had yet to return to the village.

Again the question was why, with a good bit of who thrown in this time. But what truly scared Iruka was that this man was convincing, almost enough that he was fooled. It meant Kakashi wasn't dead. The thought sent chills down Iruka's spine. Dead he was prepared for, dead he could deal with. Certainly not happily, but a good number of ninja died on missions or made it home so injured they were forced into retirement. Alive meant a host of things that weren't so easy to accept as Iruka pictured what they must have done to get so much information from his love.

Kakashi was trying to warn him though and now it was even more vital that Iruka not raise suspicion. He had to go to class and continue his section on weapons, smile and laugh with the children while he tried to think of a plan.

Someone was rounding the corner and Iruka froze seeing the pony tailed boy. Shikamaru. On his way to the mission desk it looked like, but Iruka smiled at him and reached for one shoulder. "Shikamaru-kun! I have a favor to ask of you, I could really use a helper in class today."

The boy frowned slightly, looking wary. "What can I help you with, Iruka-Sensei?"

Iruka beamed at him, already leading him away. "We're covering weapons, letting the children get a feel of the different types and start developing preferences."

Shikamaru still looked hesitant, but followed without protest. "Wouldn't TenTen be better suited to this sort of thing?"

Iruka made a thoughtful noise at that, the girl would certainly be more of a help in his current section. "She's too diversified," Iruka muttered after a moment. "I'm trying to encourage specialization. Besides, it would be far more helpful to have someone there that can freeze a child in place if a fight breaks out. We're using real blades today." He hadn't planned on it, but if it made Shikamaru's help more plausible, Iruka was willing to be a little flexible. Besides, the kids would be thrilled when he told them.

An hour later, Iruka had finally managed to calm the children down after the news and he was calling them up one at a time to select from the weapons cabinet. Blunt weapons first – bos, tonfas, escrima – more than one child was close to tears when he didn't have enough nunchukus, but Iruka promised they'd all get a chance to use everything to avoid any undue trouble.

"I really do appreciate your help, Shikamaru-kun," Iruka said as the class began testing their various impliments of minor destruction. "Please help me keep an eye on fights, and if you want to take notes on anything, please feel free. We can compare thoughts." Iruka already had a notebook in his hands, writing without looking at the page, his eyes trained instead on his students.

After a moment, Shikamaru leaned over to him, casualy holding his own pad of paper where Iruka could read it and speaking in his ear. "Hinabi seems to like the tonfa, makes sense with what she's learning at home, I suppose." His paper held a rather different message: 'Why am I really here?'

Iruka nodded, keeping up the charade as he scribbled out an explanation. "I doubt she'll take to a weapon, but it's good to see her trying." 'I don't know if I'm being watched. Something's wrong.'

"How troublesome," Shikamaru muttered as he glanced at Iruka. "I've never really cared for the Hyugas. Always watching you no matter what. Can't hardly speak freely with one of them around."

Iruka grunted his agreement, knowing that Shikamaru understood the situation now. He lapsed into silence, seeming to take notes on his kids as he wrote quickly for Shikamaru to read. 'Kakashi's in trouble. The man that came back isn't him. Or if it is then something's very very wrong regardless.'

"How can you notice so many things at once, Iruka-sensei? Too many kids, if it were me, I'm sure at least a few would lose some fingers."

Iruka frowned at the shadow user for that comment, even if it was not only true but an effective disguise for his real question. "That's why you're not a teacher, I guess. It's the little things, the things you learn about them over a year or two." 'Mask, name, report, sleep, words' he listed on his paper. "Like the way Konohamaru is looking at Udon and holding the hem of his shirt. By themselves, the two things are meaningless, but I've known that boy long enough to know he's about to try and take those nunchuku." This unfortunately was true and Iruka darted in to prevent a concussion.

When he returned, Shikamaru had his notebook dangling again so it would be easy for Iruka to glance at it. 'Alive? Ransom? Spy?' He was frowning slightly and Iruka knew he'd made the right choice for help.

"I don't know," he said aloud, turning back to the kids. After a pause he added, "Sometimes it's kind of scary being the only one that knows these kids. The only one watching out for them."

Shikamaru's frown deepened, but he moved away from his teacher slightly, putting himself in a corner. He crouched, steepling his fingers between his knees and Iruka let him think. He needed to focus anyway, now was time for the sharper toys.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Sensei, hurry, I can't hold this much longer."

Kakashi appeared on the window sill, gazing rather bored at the scene before him. Thirty small children, several with bumps and bruises and cuts, were standing perfectly still while Iruka darted between them, gathering weapons from desks and floor and grubby little hands. Shikamaru was at the front of the room, standing perfectly still, hands at his sides, his shadow stretched along the floor.

After another moment, Iruka started for the front of classroom. "Thanks, that's everything."

One child whined loudly, "I wanted to play with it at lunch though!"

"We get to do more when we come back, right?"

Shikamaru released his jutsu causing more than one child to stumble. With a sigh, the chunin went to his corner and crouched again, watching as Iruka put away the weapons. "Go have lunch, we'll see about more training when you get back." Iruka glared at the miniature stampede as they rushed to the door. "Behave yourselves or we'll have a quiz instead!"

"Indoor weapon training?" Kakashi asked, sliding into the room. Iruka shot him a glare, grateful for the excuse to let it go unconcealed, even if it was something his Kakashi would say. The silver haired man shrugged. "Just saying you're asking for an awful lot of parent meetings."

Iruka huffed, jerking his head at Shikamaru. "I have an aide today, it's nothing we can't handle." He turned around, giving the younger boy a significant look followed by a smile. "It helped more than I expected, thanks."

Kakashi tilted his head at the chunin as well. "Yo."

Shikamaru nodded and then yawned. "Hey." He stood and stretched, heading for the door. "I'm going to grab a bento for lunch, you want one, Sensei?"

Iruka nodded. He hadn't eaten any breakfast, after all. And he knew the boy was leaving for a reason, even if he wasn't sure why. Once he was gone, Kakashi leaned toward the teacher, wrapping his arms around his waist tightly. Iruka put thought into acting just as he would if Kakashi did this under normal circumstances. He pushed on his shoulder and when that didn't work, he jabbed the masked man in the ribs. "I'm at _school_, Ka-kun. You shouldn't be here at all, let alone two days in a row!"

The man had released him, though reluctantly. "Sometimes you are no fun."

"You're plenty of fun for both of us," Iruka bit out. Slowly he went to the weapons cabinet and began removing indiviual weapons, one of each. For a much needed break from the noise and danger, he'd have the children write an essay as they did the day before. Behind him, Kakashi was fingering a rope dart thoughtfully. Iruka didn't let it bother him, but he kept his eye on the tall scarecrow. "Don't you have missions?"

The man smiled wide beneath his mask. "I just got back from a mission! They wouldn't send me out again so soon."

"So you haven't been to the mission desk," Iruka deadpanned.

The man's hands flew up. "All right, all right, I'll see if they need my help. There's usually a good number of C and D ranks the Hokage wouldn't mind dumping off on me." He held up one hand as if to say goodbye and moved towards the door.

Just as it slid open, revealing another teacher, large scar quite obvious on his neck. Iruka blinked, but quickly smiled and bowed slightly. "Hello, Tohiro-san."

Tohiro smiled as well before bowing his head at Kakashi. Kakashi returned the grin and the little bow. "Tohiro-kun." Then he was gone, disappearing down the hall.

After a moment, Tohiro 'poofed', dispersing in a cloud of smoke until it was Shikamaru standing beside Iruka once more. "That man is not Hatake Kakashi," he stated plainly. "And he has been watching you, but we should have a while now. Stroke of brilliance sending him to the mission desk."

Iruka nodded, moving to the door and sliding it closed. He slipped the lock in place and then repeated the process at the window before going back to the front of the room and dissolving. With a somewhat startled sigh, Shikamaru wrapped his arms around the teacher's shoulders while Iruka shook. "I don't know what's happened to him!" The teacher whimpered quietly. "I don't know where he is and there's nothing I can do about it."

"No," Shikamaru whispered to the distraught man. "No, there's a lot you can do. You have to make him think he's won, try and find out what it is he's after. You've already done a lot, we know Kakashi is alive somewhere."

"That's what I'm worried about," Iruka admitted, scrubbing at his eyes. He needed this release, but he also needed to teach when the children came back, he had to calm down and make sure he _looked_ all right. Even if his soul was unraveling inside.

Shikamaru rubbed the teacher's arms. "No, it'll be okay. Kakashi's a jounin, former ANBU. If he's alive then he's all right."

"Define all right," Iruka sniffed miserably.

Shikamaru frowned. "Able to be rescued." He sighed, making sure to watch the time himself. "Look, we know several things for sure, right? Kakashi is alive, so this guy isn't working alone. He probably has some way of staying in contact, so you can't let on that you know anything. Now if they were after secrets or if this were an assasination, he wouldn't be hanging around, right?" Iruka nodded, the logic of problem solving calming him down gradually. "No, he'd be out there completing whatever goal he has. Kakashi can be imitated fairly easily as long as the person avoids certain people; Gai, his ANBU friends, the bookstore owner. But even they can be fooled fairly easily . . . well, maybe not the ANBU, but Gai and his other casual friends for sure. It has to be taking a lot of extra effort to fool you."

Even with fairly close friends like Genma and Raidou, certain things could slip, scars didn't have to be right, his face beneath the mask could be slightly off. But with Iruka, this imposter had to be obsessive about physical detail as well as mannerisms, it was the only way even things like scent would be accurate. It was a lot of effort, far more than simply slipping into the village to steal or kill would be. "I'm the target," Iruka whispered with sudden, horrible certainty.

"It's the only reason they'd go through all this. And he clearly doesn't intend to kill you, so what?"

The teacher looked at him, somewhat startled. "You don't have a guess?"

Shikamaru waved one hand airily. "I'll figure it out, I just gotta think. Now come on, eat up before the brats get back." He gestured at the desk where two bento were quickly growing cold, unnoticed.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	5. Old Habits, New Hope

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

Author Notes: Good lord! Holy -------- and winged hippo cows of doom! Um, er, yeah . . . I just had to write this out because I am seriously blown away! (and struggling not to curse in my notes). Yeah, so, for Hints I've been getting three or four reviews a chapter, not the best, but enough to keep me very happy. So I post chapter 4 Friday afternoon. As you probably don't know, I'm _obsessive_ about checking reviews when I post new stuff, so I checked my mail a bit after midnight. 16 New emails and ALL of them were reviews or favs. I, I'm just, so totally blown away! Thank you all! As a result, my notes are gonna be long again – no on second thought, everyone who reviewed, look at the end of this chapter for proper thanks XDD! Oh, and I'm going to start putting this universe up on LiveJournal for more exposure, most likely under the name Fortunewriter, though I may make a second account to keep my Pen Name the same. Anyway, if any of you follow LJ, it'd be nice if you watched for that (I'll be starting with Reputation and it may take a while).

-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka was grateful when the school day was over and he had some time to himself. It was Friday and after the very trying day of children with highly dangerous weapons, he was more than ready for the weekend break. Iruka thanked Shikamaru for his help, but the two of them parted ways at the school entrance. The young chunin was putting his mind to what to do about the Kakashi-imposter, but until he thought of something, Iruka was forced to continue as normal.

He spent the afternoon going around the village, effortlessly slipping into old habits of avoiding going home for as long as possible. He wanted to avoid as much confrontation as possible, at least until he had a plan to find _his_ Kakashi. He knew he was being watched, though, Shikamaru had confirmed it. This man, whoever he was, was watching Iruka closely. Not that he could do anything about it - Iruka couldn't go to anyone else for help yet – but now that he was aware of it, he could feel it like a tangible thing. He found himself stealing glances in shop windows and the hitai-ate of passing shinobi, trying to catch a glimpse of the man.

He managed to think of things to do until well into the evening, but at dinner time, he had to finaly admit defeat and made his way home. As if on cue, the Kakashi-imposter appeared by his side like an escort as Iruka approached his building. One long arm was draped over his shoulders and Iruka focused on not shuddering at the touch. After a pause, the man shifted to look into the teacher's face. "You okay, Iru-chan?"

Iruka wondered how he'd figured out to change nicknames. Most likely someone called him on it without realizing how significant that little slip truly was. Iruka reached his door and carefully undid the locks, but an idea had occurred to him. "I need to be alone," he mumbled and slipped out of the loose embrace. He went to the window first, shutting it with heavy hands; slow, deliberate motions.

This man didn't know the dance, he didn't leave, didn't even give Iruka space as he activated the few traps he still kept. "What's wrong, love? Let me help?"

"I'm fine," he snapped, not sounding fine at all. Kakashi had seen this before, he knew that when Iruka got like this, it was best to give him space. Clearly, whatever they'd learned from him, this hadn't been on the list. "I need to be alone tonight, that's all!"

Whether he knew the routine or not, the man backed away from the sudden flare in temper. "Iruka-"

"Leave! Just, just for a little while, please." Iruka turned away, hiding his expression and staring out the window.

"This is about Mizuki, isn't it?"

Shit! They did know about it, at least some of it. Gods, what had they done to Kakashi to get something like _that_ from him? Iruka paused, taking a deep breath. Something so personal, it was the sort of thing Kakashi was using to hint that something was wrong, like the nickname. Whatever they knew, Iruka was suddenly certain it wasn't the truth. "I miss him," he whispered, taking the risk and not talking about that pale haired bastard at all. He wasn't even talking to the man behind him anymore as he breathed, "I love you, Ka-kun."

The barest touch at his shoulder as the man leaned close. "It'll be all right. Try not to think about it, all right?"

Iruka spun on him, letting the anger show clearly in his eyes. This man was still talking about Mizuki, whatever he thought that meant, but it hit too close to the teacher's fears about his lover. "Out! I told you to leave!" Startled, the man began to back away. "Go camping tonight, please, just . . . just go."

Iruka could see the frown beneath his mask, but the man left without another word. Iruka forced himself to wait, watching the door carefully for a full minute before he slumped to the floor. He couldn't _do _this. His mind was going in circles, thinking about what had happened to his boyfriend, amazed and angry that he had risked so much to make sure Iruka knew what was going on. And he still had no idea what these people _wanted_!

Drawing on strength that Iruka was sure he'd exhausted long ago, the teacher stood and went to the kitchen, throwing together a microwavable meal to save himself the effort of cooking. Once he had something warm in his belly to offset the cold fear that was trying to latch onto his mind, he stumbled to the office. He wanted to sleep and he knew the bed would smell like Kakashi, even if it wasn't real. Instead Iruka found himself looking over the bookcases that lined one wall. Despite his flaunting of porn in public, Kakashi actually had a quite varried taste in literature. Still, Iruka found himself picking up a well-worn copy of Icha Icha Paradise and holding it to his chest.

"Please," he whispered, sinking to the floor, "please be all right. Be-" Iruka clung to the book, trying his best to keep some control. "Be able to be rescued."

-o-o-o-o-o-

It took a very long time for Kakashi to realize that he wasn't dead. It took even longer for him to realize he was awake. Somewhere in his mind he thought he should have reached those conclusions in the opposite order, but it was exceedingly difficult to think at all. _They've drugged me_ he realized gradually. His mouth felt like cotton and his head swam, making him nauscious if he even thought about trying to move.

Every ANBU and most jounin and even chunin knew the chakra trick to counteract truth serums. Kakashi knew several variations that protected him against a wider range of toxins, but at the moment his chakra was so overtaxed that knowing them did him absolutely no good. It was far less common in Konoha to have built up tolerances to those drugs and Kakashi thanked Ibiki, his boring lectures and the man's ancestors that he was one of the few that had made the effort. But he could still feel the drug working through his system. Either his tolerance was lower than he thought, or these people had used an awful _lot_ of it.

There was pressure on his jaw and slowly Kakashi translated the feeling into someone holding his head up. "I know you're awake, open your eyes."

It frightened Kakashi that he didn't even think of disobeying the order, slowly fluttering his eyes open and wincing at the brightness surrounding him. Frowning slightly at the little man in front of him, he put conscious thought into controlling his reactions.

"What have you done?" his interigator spat. "What lies have you told us?" Kakashi scowled, but didn't answer. The man tangled one hand in Kakashi's hair and pulled him forward, causing him to choke as something tightened around his neck. "Tell me or I will make sure you see it as your little 'Ruka is skinned alive."

Whatever they'd given him, it took that phrase and turned it into a vivid image in Kakashi's mind and he squeezed his eyes shut against it as if that would help. "Iru-chan," he choked out, grateful when his captor lessened the hold so he could breathe more freely. "H-hates being called 'Ruka."

There was a pause before a woman's voice spoke up. "He says he figured that out already. It's something else." Kakashi forced his eyes open again, noticing for the first time that the scarred woman and the muscled man were standing just behind the little interrigater.

The shorter man focused on Kakashi again. "You've done something to make him kick out our man. What was it?"

The news wasn't good. If that's all it was, it didn't mean Iruka had figured anything out. "Nightmares," he heard himself say. "Just needs space, happens sometimes." Kakashi ground his teeth together, trying again to control himself. But if Iruka was having a bad day and just kicked him out for the night . . . the name could have done that, and if that's all it was, then he hadn't accomplished anything.

The woman was speaking again, mumbling into a small radio. After a moment she looked back towards her companions. "He says Mizuki's name came up. He might be telling the truth."

"Fucking bastard." There was a pause and silence as the short man focused on Kakashi. He'd told them a little about Mizuki, but had made it seem like he and Iruka had been friends, actual lovers. He'd mentioned Itsuo, too, turning him into the mastermind behind everything. If either name had come up . . . maybe Iruka had figured it out.

Suddenly the man was moving, snatching away the radio and yelling at the man on the other end. "What did he say? Tell me exactly what was said." A pause and his eyes narrowed in a dark scowl. He threw a glare at Kakashi before speaking into the device again. "He knows something. Get Yuki and move as soon as possible. Adel, you watch him." With another glare, the man walked off, the scarred woman following.

Kakashi's chest seized up, afraid for Iruka, but at the same time he was glad. They'd screwed up; Iruka _did_ know something, and they'd just given Kakashi names. The big guy, Adel, forced his head up, pouring something liquid into his mouth. It was water, but it tasted slightly sweet – no flavor, just sweet. Summoning his courage, Kakashi spat the fluid into the other man's eyes. He pulled back with a furious growl and cuffed the copy nin hard across the cheek, sending him into darkness once more.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka woke to a soft buzzing and flung his arm out on instinct to silence his alarm. His knuckles hit against the wall and Iruka was suddenly awake, looking around frantically. He'd fallen asleep in the office and was still crouched beside the bookcase. Slowly his panic wore off and Iruka pushed himself up. The buzzing was coming from the bedroom where his alarm clock believed he was sleeping soundly in bed and Iruka hurried down the hall to silence it.

Iruka had barely gotten the noise taken care of when someone knocked lightly on his front door. Stiffling a groan, the teacher frantically changed into a clean uniform and dashed to the closed portal. The door opened to reveal Sato, a jounin Iruka knew was friends with Kakashi. He looked slightly grim, and his eyes flicked over the living room before focusing on Iruka. "Do you know where Kakashi is?"

The teacher's eyes fell shut as he faught to keep his composure at the innocent question. "No," he answered honestly. He looked up, an idea suddenly occuring to him. "Sato-san. I know you're friends with Kakashi and Keiko, and I know she's ANBU. I know you both helped him, with me . . . Please, Sato-san, are you ANBU?"

The man's gaze hardened suddenly, but shifted to look past Iruka into his home again. From behind the teacher there came a quiet 'Yo' as the Kakashi-imposter climbed in through the window. Iruka kept his body relaxed, but facing Sato, his face slipped a little, showing his distress. He said nothing, waiting for his visitor to draw his own conclusions and do something.

Finally the man shifted, after taking a few moments to think. "Hey 'Kashi. I was just looking for you; Tsunade wants you to know you're up for review soon. You might want to actually attend your boyfriend's advanced class, brush up your techniques." Iruka could hear the man's noncommital grunt and Sato turned his attention back to him. "I also need to take you over to the Inuzukas. You'll have to ask Hana-san why, but she needed you to come over right away."

Iruka nodded, honestly not sure if the other man was lying or if that really was why he'd come over so early. Slowly, making sure he looked tired, but not worried, Iruka turned to the silver-haired man behind him. "I guess I've got to go then." He darted forward, grabbing him by his shoulders and turning him so his back was to Sato. Only then did he pull down the mask, kissing this imposter and firmly picturing _his_ Kakashi. One hand was on Iruka's elbow and the grip tightened as if he wanted to stop the teacher, keep him there. Iruka pulled back slightly to smile up at the other. "Thanks for giving me the night, sorry I yelled at you."

The grip was still tight, making Iruka's mind race. Did he know he'd been found out? Did he suspect, or was he planning to go forward with whatever plans he had? Regardless, there was nothing he could do with Sato still poised in the doorway and after another moment, he released Iruka and pulled his mask back into place. "Come back here before your class?"

Iruka jogged back to the door, smiling over his shoulder. "It depends on what Hana-san needs. I'll try, all right?" A large part of Iruka wanted to come back and face this man, devote his time to figuring out what he could possibly be after. But the more logical part of himself argued that he was this man's target, for whatever reason, and being surrounded by chunin, jounin and ANBU for a few hours was _easily_ the more wise choice.

Sato fell into step beside Iruka, leading him out of the complex and toward Inuzuka land. After a minute he spoke, not bothering to look at the teacher. "If you don't know where Kakashi is," he said slowly, "then who was that?"

Iruka felt his chest tighten and he looked up at the taller man from the corner of his eye. "I-I don't know," he admitted, his voice only shaking a little.

He was rewarded with a sideways glance and a slight scowl before Sato continued. "You're lucky I am ANBU. Jounin might not have caught that look you gave, and then it would be him walking beside me. What's going on, Iruka?"

"I honestly don't know. But Kakashi's been captured and this _thing_ came home in his place. I know the safety of the village comes first and I know I should have gone straight to Ibiki or Tsunade when I figured out something was wrong." He took a deep breath, running his fingers through hair he hadn't actually brushed yet. "I'm just not ready to give up on Kakashi. He could still be alive and I – I need to try and get him back."

A sudden weight on his shoulder made Iruka look up. Sato was guiding him, apparently trying to reassure him, but still looking straight ahead. "Any good shinobi would do the same." For a while the two walked in silence, not speaking again until the Inuzuka clan tents were in view. "Have you told anyone about this?"

"Shikamaru Nara. I know he's just a chunin, but he's intelligent and clever. I had him as a student, I know what that boy can do if he actually tries."

"Going to a chunin was very smart of you. They get underestimated a lot, you were for years. With luck, he won't raise any alerts _because_ he's a lower rank. As long as you think you're safe, and Konoha isn't in immediate danger, I won't act until we have a plan. At least until we know if this pup can help us any."

Iruka's brow fell, confused as he was led into Hana's veterinary clinic, but the explanation was quite obvious as he was shown into one of the examination rooms. Hana was bent over the table, a trained medi-nin beside her, working on a small dog. Iruka gasped, hands flying to his mouth in horror: that was one of Kakashi's dogs, a little golden puppy, only a few months old. Iruka had actually been present for the little creature's birth, had brought it in to show his students.

The dog was sedated, but Iruka had doubts it would be awake even if it weren't. One of it's rear legs was completely missing and several deep cuts ran along its back and sides. Two shuriken tinged with blood were lying at the top of the table, clearly removed from the small animal. Iruka stumbled back from the scene, bumping into Sato's chest, and turned his eyes away. "Gods . . . Ka-kun."

Sato steadied the teacher again, hands on his shoulders. "He is still alive somewhere. He's trying to reach us."

"This little guy'll pull through, Iru-chan," Hana called from the table, not looking up from her work and apparently competely nonplussed by the teacher's presence instead of Kakashi. "He's not gonna be too happy for a few weeks, but he'll be all right. He's young enough now he won't even notice the missing paw later in life."

Iruka was relieved to hear that, on more than one level. "Then when he wakes up, we might be able to find out where he came from?"

Hana hesitated and frowned, but she nodded after a moment. "Yeah, I'll get Kiba in here to help with that. Akamaru's the youngest trained pup we have right now and this guy'll be more comfortable with someone closer to his own age." For the first time, the wild woman glanced at Iruka, offering a small smile. "Don't worry, whatever's going on, everything'll work out all right."

"In light of Kakashi's apparent situation, I have a few things to atted to. Is it all right if Iruka stays here?" Sato asked, one hand already on the door. Hana nodded again, looking once more at her patient. Sato nodded back before catching Iruka's gaze again. "Stay here until your class. Absolutely no contact with that imposter until than, all right?"

Looking completely miserable, Iruka burried his head in his hands and lowered himself into a chair to wait.

-o-o-o-o-o-

**A / N 2: **Okay, another long chapter as special reward for you all. Again, seriously, thank you SO much. Sometimes I respond to reviews in PMs, but it's generally easier to do it this way. So here goes!

CopyNinAstral – I know exactly what you mean! I picture stuff in my head, but my dialogue is stronger than my description so I can't always transfer that well. Glad I'm succeeding at least to a point!

MikaSamu – Okay, so I read 'so much love in this chapter' and all I could think of was 'this is a torture fic, there shouldn't be love.' But I understand what you meant XD. And yeah, I'm so mean to Kakashi, and all of you for not having _any_ mention of him last chapter. Not that his scene in _this_ chapter eased your worries any ne? Though at least you know he's alive.

Lillian – oh, this was for ch3, oh well – I hope you liked 4 as well, and 5 now, too XD. Don't die, I lurv you! – Oh there you are for ch4. Thanks for the bookmark!

Anise – (snugu) Yeah, the fact that you've been here through the whole universe still makes me glomp you XD. (nodnod) Shikamaru fits _so_ well and he plays a decently major part later, too. Other people mentioned that too, I'm glad you all agree with me. And yes! Iruka will be rescuing Kakashi this time . . . sort of . . . but then there's more . . . but that comes later. As long as my muses don't abandon me I'll update super good, I live to please XD (stupid ff net says I can't use my favorite smiley, but I'm getting used to this one – can you tell?XD)

Teenagersscareme – Well I'm glad I could make _two_ days for you! And here you are in my notes again (giggles) so that's a whole nother day made good, right!

Annaiel – It wouldn't surprise me if it was sugar highs and sugar crashes . . . but especially in something as popular as Naruto, there's an awful lot of grammer-crap stories out there even without candy to blame. I don't recognize your name off the bat, but you clearly know my universe, so I hope I'm keeping up expectations XD I can't _write_ torture! I've tried, believe me, and you'll see later that I fail (it's a rather obvious break) But I'm pretty good at right _after_ the torture, and that at least I think comes out well. Hope you like XD

Love and Death – I still love your name, makes me think of DuoxWuFei, even though that would be Justice and Death . . . in any case . . . That makes you the – second? – to say this is the best of the series so far. (blushes) I hope I don't dissapoint, but thanks in any case!

Guardian-Nightshade – From you review on Reputation, I get the feeling you'll wind up here before chapter 6 goes up, so, HI!! If you're here, either BD didn't scare you off or you skipped it – either way good to see you XD 2AM . . . that puts you on central time? Meh, whatever. Thanks! I'll talk at you more once you review again XD and don't forget to see the short side-stories, too, they are cute and full of fluff!

Alana – Hello and thanks! Answers will be coming soon.

Hen – Mwahaha! Evil cliffhanger of doom! Well, I'm posting twice a week now, so keep your eyes open and my cliffhangers will be short.


	6. Revealed

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author Notes:** I have an 'oops' to admit. I don't like posting when I haven't finished a story because of stuff like this, but mostly it works out okay. Simple change – early in this story I mentioned "October had only just begun". Well, Halloween decided to inspire me, so now it's the end of Oct, I've changed it in chapter two, just thought I'd mention it XD. Teenagersscareme – XD Well I'll get those alerts out for you as fast as I can. Kakashi didn't have the chakra to summon Pakkun, even the little one was enough to knock him out as weak as he is now. Anise – why not? I reread my old stuff all the time, I'm weird like that. Mwahaha – I made MikaSamu paranoid! Love and Death – I went on Youtube to check out the song, it IS good XD Still makes me think of 2x5 though, meh, it's just me. Zelda – yeah, you'd think ANBU would be helpful, wouldn't you? (more evil laughter) Hi Lilian! Really, you should be asleep at 2, not reading (says the woman who writes until well past two more often than not) Hey, SilverRoseKeeper, I remember you XD (BLUSH) thanks a lot!

Okay – question for all of you. Althea liked the title better as just Hints . . . and just like BD, hearing someone say they like the title makes me like it too, and now I don't know if I should leave it or change it back. Any thoughts from the rest of you? Also Althea – Thanks! I'm getting like twice the reviews since chapter 5, it's awesome. You make me blush XD And Iruka and Shikamaru? TOTALLY an awesome team, I've seen other people put them together, too. And Sato at least _thinks_ he's being helpful. Poor Iruka – read on to find out why I say that!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka spent the whole morning in the clinic with Hana. When the wild woman was finally finished with the little injured dog, she led the teacher out to another room as Kiba and Akamaru entered to wait for him to wake up. Iruka was miserable, slumping against the wall behind him and sinking to the floor. After quite a while, Hana finally sat beside him and spoke. "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine!" he snapped with more vehemence than was really necessary. His face was still buried in his hands, muffling the words, but somehow amplifying the emotion. "I'm not the one in trouble. I'm not the one everyone needs to be worried about."

"I'm not worried about Kakashi," Hana said confidently. "He's able to contact us, to a point. You obviously know all about this mess, so he's not so bad off he can't clue you in."

"Everything I know is from the little things combined. These people have gotten so much _right_-"

"And if they'd actually broken Kakashi, it would _all_ be right with no hints for you. He's got enough of a handle on the situation, however bad, that he's not helpless."

Iruka nodded miserably, finally looking up. "You can look at this and still have faith-"

"Because it's Kakashi."

For a long few minutes, Iruka didn't respond. Finally, with a shaky breath, he looked at Hana again. "You're right. It is because it's Kakashi and not you or Genma or Kurenai. If it were someone else, I would be able to distance myself, and if the worst happened, I would be devestated." A pause, and Hana could see him struggle to keep his composure. "But if Kakashi doesn't survive this, neither will I."

Unsure what to say to that, Hana fell silent again. It had to be hard for him, to be so closely involved with the captured shinobi. To know, vaguely, what was happening – or had happened – and to be helpless to do anything. There had to be a lot of doubt and worry, all suppressed while he struggled with the mission itself.

After a long while of sitting in silence, Iruka pushed himself to his feet. "I need to go set up for class." But he stayed where he was, nervously playing with the hem of his vest. "You'll . . . you'll let me know if Kiba finds out anything, won't you?"

"Of course, Sensei. Be safe."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Genma and Raidou were waiting for Iruka when he reached the school. They always helped him set up on Saturdays and the sight of something so normal, familiar, and _right_ almost made Iruka break down again. He had to remind himself twice that these two wouldn't know anything was wrong. Just like his children, he had to smile and pretend everything was all right.

One of the first to arrive was Sato, who took a seat in one corner where he could watch both the door and the window. Iruka knew that noone would notice unless they already knew about Kakashi, but to the teacher the move was so obvious it was almost painful. The class was fairly small overall, but it went by smoothly, in Iruka's opinion. He very carefully did not talk about the things to look for when trying to spot spies, it would have been too obvious. He did thoroughly cover chakra concealment, with some demonstrations thanks to Genma, his not-quite-so-willing aide. It was a subject taught to younger shinobi, but usually only on basic terms. Iruka used several painful but not particularly dangerous or damaging jutsus, with Genma kindly providing an example of appearing happy, or scared, or unconscious, at least in terms of his chakra.

The key was clarity of mind and thought, something Iruka was struggling to maintain after the day he'd had yesterday, and the lesson was as much to help him focus as it was to inform his lethal students. More than once he caught Sato nodding approvingly at him. As far as anyone else knew, Iruka was just having fun with his friend and he caught several whispers, speculating about what Genma had done to anger him.

After three hours of this, and turning the shinobi against each other for practice, the class was finally dismissed. The Kakashi-imposter hadn't shown, but Iruka suspected he would soon, maybe even that he'd been watching the whole time, though with Sato on guard, he doubted that one. The tall ANBU stood, striding confidently towards Iruka as the rest of the men and women filed out the door or transported away in a pointless show of their skills. There was another man beside him, closer to Iruka's own height, and the teacher could feel his stomach twist in anticipation of something unwanted happening.

The man spoke in hushed tones, only heightening Iruka's unease. "This is Ken, he's also ANBU. Iruka, I think it would be best to eliminate you from the equation, let someone with more experience and training in this area deal with our guest."

Iruka shook his head slightly, trying to be reasonable about this, but unwilling to back down from his point. "No, I need to try and get Kakashi back."

"Now, think about it, Sensei," Sato continued, still sounding far too calm about it all. "Ken can henge into you and this man would be none the wiser. He better knows how to extract the information. We don't want you to be forced into interegation anyway, if it comes to that."

Iruka shook his head again, firmer this time. "No! If you move on him, we won't be able to get to Kakashi in time! He has to be keeping in touch with his people some way."

"We can move fast. Find out where they're holding him and send out a team _before_ we find out what he's after."

Iruka was ready to pull his hair. They weren't _listening_. Ken was silent, but that very silence exuded agreement with his friend. It didn't matter how good they were, it didn't matter how fast they moved, if they acted now, Kakashi's life was forfeit. "I may know what they want," a voice at Iruka's shoulder muttered. The teacher turned to see Shikamaru had joined their tiny gathering and was looking evenly up at the taller ANBU. "Iruka-Sensei is in a very unique position in Konoha and since he's the target, they must be looking to take advantage of that."

Ken's eyes narrowed, speaking for the first time. "You're the target?"

"He has to be," Shikamaru answered in a lazy drawl, "or this guy would have acted by now and left. But think about it; Iruka-Sensei is a teacher, so he has access to anything in the school, things that non-teacher shinobi can't even look at. On top of that, he's the only teacher at the academy with jounin level clearance _and_ he still has mostly free run of the mission desk and records room. He's one of the only shinobi in the whole village that actually volunteers when it's time to catalog that place, and isn't one of those coming up fairly soon?"

Iruka was frowning deeply when the chuunin beside him finished. It was all true, and obvious when he thought about it. "I don't take solo missions," he said slowly, cementing the theory in his mind. "It would be nearly impossible to intercept me outside the village; they would _have_ to come in somehow."

"All the more reason we should let Ken replace you. For your own safety, Iruka. We need to go to Ibiki, too-"

"No!" Iruka yelled this time, his voice rising instinctively at the mention of the frightening man. If Ibiki got involved there would be holding cells and various sharp and blunt objects and a good deal of blood. He had no doubts the man could get any information he wanted, but not necessarily _quickly_. "Sato-san, please-"

Iruka cut himself off abruptly as the classroom door slid open. He didn't have to look to know who it was and his voice confirmed it a minute later. "Oh, is class over all ready? I really was planning to be here for _some_ of it at least, but this pregnant squirrel needed my help stealing nuts from the pigeons."

Iruka's mood changed instantly, his lesson of the day clicking into place as he regulated his chakra. Somewhat desperately he looked up at Sato, but the taller man spoke before he could say anything. "I'll go talk to Ibiki this afternoon." He smiled softly at the slightly panicked look that passed through Iruka's eyes. "I'm sure he'll be happy to help you put together a lesson for next week. Keeping your head during torture would be a nice follow up to this week."

The teacher's fists unclenched, relaxing at those words. The other would go to Ibiki, he knew, but this little cover meant that they were going to wait, trust Iruka to figure things out, for a little while longer at least. "Thank you, Sato-san." He turned to the Kakashi and smiled, waving at the men behind him as he strode over to the man. "Since you're too late for class, you can just walk me home," he murmered as they left the room.

Almost at once, the man's long arm was around Iruka's shoulders in a loose embrace. "You planning on studying torture techniques?" he asked, sounding genuinely curious.

Iruka nodded slightly and lay his head against the man's shoulder. "How to get through them and protect yourself and your village, even if you're captured."

"Hmm. If you want, I can show you a few things."

Iruka sighed, letting his gaze fall to the ground and answering in a whisper. "At least if you tortured me, I'd know what exactly you're trying to get."

The reaction was immediate as the imposter's grip turned suddenly steel hard. His fingers dug into Iruka's shoulder, most likely leaving bruises for later. For his part, Iruka didn't seem to react, still leaning gently against the man's side. To anyone else, the two would still look like a happy couple. Neither said anything more until they reached Iruka's appartment. The teacher calmly deactivated the locks and pushed the door open. The man at his back pushed with sudden force, making Iruka trip on the step up out of the entryway, but he managed to catch himself easily, standing there as if nothing were wrong.

His eyes darted over the living room before coming to rest on the hallway as a fairly young woman slipped out of the shadows. By the door, Kakashi's voice sounded surprised. "What happened to you?"

The woman scowled, wiping at the blood that was slowly tinging the shoulder of her tunic a vibrant red. "Bastard has this place wired. I thought you were supposed to take care of that!"

The silver haired man only shrugged, apparently unconcerned. "Well he kicked me out last night. If we weren't rushed, I'd have found everything by next week, but the plan changed, didn't it?"

Mentally, Iruka tallied the time; a week would bring them within days of the cataloging. Iruka couldn't help an arogant snort at the other man. "You honestly thought you could keep this up for a week? You were barely able to fool me for a day."

This earned him a cruel smile and the man took a menacing step towards him. "And it's because of that the plan changed. I should thank you for speeding things up, I know now we'll need more time to get the information from you anyway."

Iruka didn't back away, staring at the man with his 'you are in such shit' gaze, something he'd developed for Naruto and perfected on Konohamaru. It was a look that even made Ibiki and the real Kakashi hesitate to cross him. "Where's Kakashi?"

The man took another step forward. "If I were you, he's not the one I would be concerned about, _Iru-chan_."

Iruka scowled, upgrading his glare consciously. "You know far too little about me to think you can pull this off. The very second you walk in front of my kids, you may as well announce yourself to the Hokage."

The woman, still across the room, smiled at the teacher. "Yes, but your class is over, Sensei. And you have nowhere to be until Monday morning." Puncuating her words, the Kakashi-imposter suddenly struck out, one hand jabbing Iruka just under the ribcage, the other going to his neck and pinching off his windpipe as his breath whooshed out.

Iruka gasped on pure instinct, one hand gripping his attacker's when he got no air. The man leaned close to the teacher, forcing him against the wall. "If you tell us what we need to know, you'll find we can make it worth your while. He's still alive. We can take you to him." He loosened his hold, letting Iruka breathe again, and continued in a shaking voice. _Kakashi's_ shaking voice. "I-Iru-chan. Ah, p-please."

Iruka shivered, shutting his eyes firmly as the man groaned as if in pain. The sound of his lover suffering so, even though he _knew_ it wasn't Kakashi, was difficult to ignore. Before he had a chance to recover, the man laughed, low and malicious, in a voice that definitely did not belong to Kakashi. It made Iruka cringe.

Suddenly the woman was beside him again, a small syringe in one hand. Iruka's eyes widened when he saw it before he could try and contain the reaction. "Hold his arm, this'll keep him awake."

The man leaned against Iruka, pinning his body to the wall while his hands held the teacher's arm steady. Iruka tried to pull away, but he was at a disadvantage in terms of strength and leverage. Quickly the teacher reevaluated his situation, upgrading it from 'possibly dangerous to me' to 'Konoha in serious trouble'. If he got out of this alive, Ibiki was going to kill him. He squeezed his eyes shut against the pinch of the needle and began running through everything he actually knew about withstanding an interrogation.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi woke slowly, feeling surprisingly refreshed for the first time in . . . a week? Longer? No, he couldn't have been here that long yet . . . he hoped. He'd spent so much time unconscious, it was possible he'd lost a day or two, but he certainly hoped not. Kakashi was careful not to reveal that he was awake, doing a quick check of his situation. He'd been out for quite some time and it had given his chakra a chance to rebuild significantly and for his body to adjust to its injuries.

They'd dislocated his shoulder. Kakashi's whole left arm was vaguely numb from the disturbed connection. His fingers no longer hurt though; they'd stiffened up badly, but he could form a loose fist with almost no pain. His body had adapted; he could fight effectively if he needed to. His legs were still unharmed, too, though his entire torso was numb from pain, more than one rib bruised at the very least. It would be awkward, and more than a little painful, but he'd be able to run once he got the chance.

His own body tallied, Kakashi turned his attention outward. He kept his chakra back, low and even as if still asleep, and just used his senses for a long while. He smelled blood, mostly, and he knew it was all his own. Beyond that, though, he could smell the lingering scents of his captors. There was inscence burning nearby, too, meant to confuse a shinobi's sense of smell. With anyone else it may have worked, but Kakashi was practically an Inuzuka and his nose was very nearly as sharp as men from that clan and their dogs. He'd grown accustomed to guaging smell through his mask, and with that gone it made everything that much clearer.

After an exceedingly long time, Kakashi decided he was alone in the room. He couldn't hear anyone breathing, and the smells were all fading. Cautiously he cracked his normal eye open and glanced around: the tiny room was empty. That determined, Kakashi lowered his head again and shut his eye, assuming unconsciousness again. Slowly he shifted his arms, gaining a sense of the bindings he was in now.

The first movement made his shoulder burn suddenly and vibrantly. Kakashi ignored it as best he could, mainly moving his right hand to minimize the sensation. His wrists were bound together behind his back, hooked around a pole of some sort. Shifting a bit more, Kakashi felt a rope tighten around his throat and remembered the choking sensation from earlier. Gingerly he moved his head forward, trying to figure out what they'd done without being able to see it.

The length of rope at his neck was also attached to the pole, keeping his head back. And from the way it moved as he struggled, it had to be connected to his hands as well. It was meant to discourage struggles and escape attempts, but it seemed rather Rube Goldbergian to the copy nin. Still, it was fairly effective, and eliminated several possible techniques he could have used. With sinking hopes, Kakashi realized what options he was left with.

Well, at the very least, he could keep his injuries to a single arm. He shifted to grip his left wrist with his right hand and took a deep calming breath. Then with sudden force and a feirce twist, he dislocated the joint. For several moments he didn't move, using his hand as a brace while he faught off the urge to scream. It would only get more painful he knew, and he knew he could not wait for his body to adjust to this particular pain.

Gritting his teeth, he manipulated the limb until he had slid it out of the ropes. That task completed, he had enough room to throw the ropes from his right hand and did so as quickly as he could. Numb fingers went immediately to the rope around his neck, loosening it until he could slip out of that as well.

Kakashi took a moment to look around his cell again. It truly was empty and had only one door. With a sigh, Kakashi went to one wall and grit his teeth again. He had to work fast or risk his efforts being for nothing. He lined up the angle as best he could and rammed his shoulder into the hard stone. The feel of bone scraping together nearly dragged a scream out of his throat and it was all the more difficult to keep quiet because it hadn't _worked_ and he knew he had to try again. Three more times, in fact, before the bone popped back into its socket well enough that Kakashi could move the arm almost normally.

He sank to the ground slowly, dizzy from both the effort and the pain. Rather than take the break, he lifted his left hand again, repeating the bone manipulation until his wrist, too, was relocated at least well enough to work with. His head was beginning to ache again, from the odd stress of keeping one eye closed while the other was wide instead of the chakra pull of the sharingan itself this time. He needed to do something about that or he wouldn't make it more than twenty feet out the door.

He had to wait for a victim.

Kakashi forced himself up slightly, and back to the pole he'd been tied to. It was actually a support beam, it looked like, left bare but clearly holding the weight of the ceiling. He looked at the rope and quickly went to work rearranging it. He looped a section around his neck, but free of the beam so he could move and breath freely. With his back to the piece of wood once more, he twisted the rest of the rope around his wrists, reconstructing the look of the knot by feel and hoping it would appear the same. If it were Iruka, the teacher could have done it in half the time. Distantly Kakashi felt himself smile thinking of the brunette. His skills with rope had improved considerably in the year they'd been together, but he was still not even a distant rival. If it was Iruka here instead of him, the bindings may as well have been made of mist.

Thinking of Iruka made Kakashi's chest tighten after a moment. He wondered what the teacher was going through, what he'd figured out. These people were from White, he was pretty sure. The village was abanndoned, or supposed to be, but everyone knew there was a group that still lived there, training and building strength. No one knew why they hid in the ruins of a defunct ninja village, but they were known to value information and blackmail rather than fighting to gain status. It was ambitious to target a village as prestigious as Konoha, but they were clearly after something specific and it explained their skill with information as well. _Please be safe, Iruka._ With one last thought to his lover, Kaksahi shut his eyes again, adopting the look of unconsciousness and waiting for his chance to move.


	7. Out of Time

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author Notes: **Such marvelous reviews as always! Stupid ff net dropped this, have to rewrite my notes. But I'll still keep them short, since I left you all with such a cliffhanger. That being the case - huge general thanks to you all! Mika - thanks for thinking I kept them all in character, I do try, unlike some I've seen. Lilian - Yeah, Kakashi is _not_ pretty okay, that'll come up in this chapter and the next couple XD I've never had near that much blood loss, myself, so I'm basing it on high fevers, severe dehydration, stuff I actually have experienced. But yeah, anyway, on with the chapter!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka was shivering. It was one of the first things they'd done, casting a jutsu to make him feel cold, regardless of whatever else happened. It had been hours now, a breaking period to soften him up and make their job easier. The other jutsu the girl had performed was to make him hear things, specifically Kakashi's voice, screaming and begging, racked with pain. Every now and then, the imposter would stalk towards him, shallow cuts or taunting words. Nothing yet that was truly damaging, but the fact that it was Kakashi's face, Kakashi's hands . . . it was more than slightly disturbing.

Iruka had begun to yawn around chattering teeth at two in the morning. His mind was tired and knew he should be sleeping, but the drug in his system kept his eyes open. Now he could see the faint rays of the sunrise creeping through his window. It would probably start to get more painful soon. Iruka knew how to deal with mind games, he could withstand days of them, he was sure, if he needed to. Even if these were somewhat unique . . . Iruka could withstand as long as he needed to and still listen to their interaction, gaining valuble information about the two and their partners. It was the physical part of all this he was worried about. He wouldn't last once they began with serious pain and once they figured that out . . .

They hadn't bothered to bind him and Iruka wondered why. It was possible they didn't consider him enough of a threat, but it was equally possible they knew how good he was with rope and knots. Either way, Iruka was hesitant to try anything, for Kakashi's sake and because he honestly wasn't sure he could win in a fight with either of his captors and certainly not both.

The man walked towards him again and Iruka reluctantly focused on him. He knelt slowly, eye level with Iruka, who was curled against the wall. "Iruka," he whispered, voice sweet and gentle. Kakashi's voice. Inside Iruka's mind he could hear that voice scream and wimper and he clenched his eyes shut against it. "Iruka, talk to me. Tell my friend here how to pass as you."

The teacher shivered again and opened his eyes. "G-go to hell," he bit out.

"Iru-chan, please. Cooperate with me, please." Another scream in Iruka's mind and he shuddered violently again. "No one in the village will be hurt, none of your students will even know anything happened. We'll get what we want and leave." There was a pause and the man brushed his hand down the teacher's jaw. "He's still alive. Give us what we want and he'll stay that way. You can see him again."

Iruka forced his eyes to stay open, wanting to see the imposter's face. "Go t-to Tsunade-sama and call her an-n old hag. It's c-code," he managed through chattering teeth. The man's face darkened, making Iruka smirk.

Suddenly there was a kunai in the other's hand and he held it at the teacher's collar. "I am trying very hard not to have to hurt you, but you seem determined to force my hand." He hesitated, shifting the weapon up to Iruka's face. Very slowly he trailed it from one cheek to the other, tracing along the old scar there with just enough pressure to pull droplets of blood from the skin. "He has a scar, too." He pulled the weapon up, ghosting over Iruka's eye in a mockery of the scar around the sharingan.

Iruka struggled against shutting his eyes again. He needed to see, be aware of what was about to happen to him and prepare. He said nothing. Before the imposter could do anything else, he was interrupted by a loud knock on the door. The kunai vanished and he pressed his hand tightly against Iruka's mouth, nearly blocking off the teacher's air. The pounding at the door sounded again, this time Ibiki's voice accompanying it. "Iruka! Wake up, I need to talk with you."

The imposter's eyes doubled in size. Without releasing Iruka, he turned to the woman, who slinked back into the hallway, weapons appearing in her hands. Iruka took as deep a breath as he could and sent a silent prayer to his lover, hoping Kakashi would forgive him. His chakra flared suddenly, filling the room and beyond in a sudden, violent surge.

The man turned back to him, disbelief clear on his face. He shifted again, kunai reappearing, but was again stopped before he could do anything. It took only miliseconds, the window shattering to allow an ANBU entrance and the man jerked as a kunai burried into his own back. There was a pop and bits of smoke, the man's disguise, for the first time, fading. He had blonde hair; Iruka focused on that, on the gold strands closer to Naruto's color than Kakashi's.

The imposter was dead before he hit the ground, two more kunai hitting his chest as Ibiki broke down the door. The ANBU had already darted to the hall, dealing with the woman there while another masked face appeared in the window as reinforcement.

Slowly the screams and the cold faded, and Iruka pushed himself to his feet, still shivering. He looked at the man at his feet for a very long time before slowly looking up to take in the rest of the room. After another moment his eyes landed on Ibiki's frowning face. Everything broke and he flung himself into the larger man's chest. Ibiki's eyes widened at the move and his hands came up on instinct. Realizing Iruka was almost in tears, he brought one hand down in an awkward pat. "Um . . . there, uh, there."

Iruka shook his head, face burried in the broad chest. Beside him, the second ANBU stiffled a giggle. "Come on, Ibiki-san, you've seen this before."

Ibiki growled and looked at the other man. "Except that I always let others deal with hysterical ninja." He paused and quickly shifted Iruka into the other's arms. "You deal with it."

The mask hid any emotion, but the ANBU sounded a little startled himself when he spoke softly to Iruka. "Hey, calm down. You're . . . you're fine. They hardly hurt you, see? You'll be just fine."

Iruka shook his head again, clinging to the man's vest. "He's dead, gods they're going to kill him. I should have been able to _do_ something!"

"Iruka, look at me," Ibiki ordered in his usual gruff tone. Slowly the teacher looked up, tears barely contained in his eyes. Ibiki let his gaze shift to the woman where she was being held. "Akamaru knows where Kakashi is. And I'll know a lot more soon."

It took a moment for the information to penetrate Iruka's brain. Slowly he shifted to look at the woman as well. Then without warning, he bolted for the shattered window. The ANBU started, but Ibiki was already moving. "With me. Sato, you go after him. Do _not_ let him do something stupid!"

The second ANBU was moving instantly, trusting his fellows to restrain their new toy – er, prisoner – and racing after Iruka. Against all logic, he found the teacher just as he entered the main records room. "Iruka," he said warningly.

The man ignored him completely and stalked toward a shelf of blank scrolls. The professionals weren't _listening _to him, he felt no need whatsoever to listen to them. He had to move and quickly, while there was still a chance of getting to Kakashi while he was still alive. "I won't betray my village," he growled, gathering several scrolls and scribbling authentic looking labels onto the otherwise worthless things. "But I won't abandon my partner either!" He ran from the building, taking the streets at a run to get to Inuzuka territory.

Kiba was waiting at the borders of his clan's land, obviously expecting to guide someone to Kakashi. When he saw Iruka however, flushed and somewhat panicked, he looked rather unsure. Iruka shook his head at the boy's expression in an attempt to dispell his uncertainty. "Tell me where Kakashi is, Kiba-san."

The boy was still frowning and shifted slightly to look over the teacher's shoulder at the masked man still following him. The ANBU nodded slightly and Kiba looked at his Sensei again. "I'll have to come with you, scent trails don't translate that well to maps." At his heals, Akamaru barked loudly.

Iruka nodded quickly. "Show me. Please."

"Go, as quickly as you can," Sato muttered. "I'm going to get a medi-nin and we'll catch up." With another nod, Kiba was off, his little pup sprinting out in front and Iruka running frantically behind.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi had let himself slip into meditation. He had the chance to rebuild more strength while still staying aware of the world around him. When the door opened, however, he pulled his focus back to the present. The sound of barely there footfalls met his ears, but after a moment all pretense of stealth vanished.

"Geez, Adel, how hard did you hit him?" It was the woman's voice, Kakashi could hear her shut the door again.

Adel's footfalls came closer before he spoke. "Hard enough to keep him out of our hair. Bastard still thinks he has a choice here and I'd just as soon not be caught in his next escape attempt." Inside, Kakashi grinned widely. He was officialy looking forward to shattering that specific hope. There was a touch on his chin and Kakashi forced himself to stay limp. He kept his breath even and low as his head was tilted up and to the side. It was harder when a hand settled over his throat, but after another second the touch retreated.

Closer to the door, the woman laughed. "Well we don't have to worry about him too much longer. Once we get what we need from that teacher, we don't have to worry about them at all." Another laugh. "We should set up the radio so he can hear his boyfriend scream. Probably be more effective than anyhing else we've tried."

Adel seemed more cautious about the whole idea. "We don't need anything else from this jerk, and if we did that, he'd have to be awake. I'd be happy just leaving him unconscious until we're done with this whole thing." Kakashi strained to hear clearly, making out the large man's movements without revealing his awareness. He stood, and a shuffle of noise made it sound like he turned around. There was no way to tell if the woman was looking at Kakashi or Adel, but the copy ninja was willing to bet he wasn't the focus of either of his captors at the moment.

He wasn't particularly happy that he was gambling with his life, but he also doubted he'd have a better chance anytime soon.

He was sitting on the ground, back to a solid beam, legs sprawled out in front of him, and arms twisted behind his back. The complete and utter lack of leverage from his position was heavy in Kakashi's thoughts, but he was a trained Konoha jounin. In under a second he was moving, pushing away from the wall without rising at all. The woman jerked back in surprise. "Fuck!" Shuriken appeared in her hands and she let fly at her suddenly not unconscious prisoner.

Kakashi ignored the sharp blades, even as one cut across his abdomen, and focused on Adel. The man was turning, but it was far too late. Kakashi hit his knees, bringing him down hard in a tangle of limbs. Unfortunately, Kakashi found himself in the middle of that tangle as Adel managed to get an arm around him. The sudden move wrenched Kakashi's injured shoulder, tearing a grunt of pain from him.

Adel had a survival knife stashed in his belt and Kakashi made a grab for it. He felt something sharp drive into his leg, but he had the weapon and with a arcing pull he traced a deep cut up Adel's arm. Kakashi pulled free as the man flinched at the wound and made a break for the door. The woman was disappearing down the hallway, more than likely to bring reinforcements. It gave Kakashi the chance he needed to slip away.

His finger's wrapped around Adel's hitai-ate and he pushed off the floor to run. He didn't have the time or strength to properly deal with the muscled man, he needed to get away and now, but his first step on his newly injured leg nearly sent the copy nin back to the floor. Somewhat frantic, Kakashi caught himself with his good hand in an odd sort of half cartwheel to keep moving without losing much speed. The kunai wound in his thigh had cut deep into the muscle. Kakashi grit his teeth and focused on adjusting his gait to compensate for the rather profound limp. In the long run the wound was nothing to worry about, but at the moment it was just one more obstacle he had to fight with. And one more bit of blood loss, Kakashi thought desparingly as a sudden wave of dizzyness hit him.

It was an awkward run, but Kakashi managed. Completely ignoring the pain of his shoulder and fingers, he tied the stolen hitai-ate around his head and slid it down to cover the sharingan. The effect was immediate as the steady pull of chakra was abruptly cut off. He stumbled again as his headache lessened, but that chakra was immediately redirected, adding a bit of speed and stability to his legs.

Kakashi could barely remember the layout of the building from when he was brought in. But if what he remembered was correct, then the forest and potential freedom was just beyond the next door. Right on cue, three shadows appeared to block the path. Kakashi didn't bother with any fancy dodges or misleading tricks. He ducked lower, charging right into the center of the shadow clones. As the shadows attacked, he struck out, fending them off as best he could. None of his attacks really did damage, not even aimed well enough to dispell the jutsu, but that wasn't Kakashi's goal right now.

The door burst open under Kakashi's weight as one of the clones tackled him to the ground. He could hear the interregator shouting from slightly deeper in the complex. "Damn it, stop him! Don't let him get into the trees!" Kakashi spun, throwing his attacker off with a swift kick, and leapt into the trees with as much force as he could muster.

"Find him!" Kakashi could hear from the door of the small compound. "Split up and bring him back here, we can't let him get back to Konoha."

He stayed at ground level, knowing he was far past being able to move around in the branches safely. Without slowing, he shot out one hand, snapping off a thick branch. The rope was still looped around his fist and Kakashi quickly tied it around the branch and his wrist. It was a poor guard and a poorer brace for his now throbbing wrist, but it would have to do.

He jerked to the side suddenly, catching his injured shoulder on a tree as he barely avoided a solid blow aimed for his head. Shit, it was the woman. Kakashi fell back, blocking her next attack with his improvised sheild, pleased to find it was more solid than he'd expected. But he could hear someone rushing towards him, light footfalls in the fallen leaves. Kakashi cursed, slipping his hand up to uncover the sharingan. Almost immediately his head was pounding again; he couldn't handle the strain for more than a few seconds. Taking a page from Naruto's book again, he charged at the woman directly, reading her moves and doing what he could to counter them.

In moments, Kakashi was able to slip past the woman's guard and dart further into the trees. He covered the sharingan again and redirected the chakra into his legs once more. Behind him he could hear the leader giving chase. "You can't get away," he called. "And don't think your little 'Ruka won't feel the pain for this."

Kakashi ground his teeth together, pushing back the panic at those words. He couldn't afford to worry about Iruka right now, he couldn't let himself feel the pain of his injuries. He had to focus on just getting away before he collapsed again. Deeper into the woods, running straight away from the voice. It was a beginner's trick to talk to your prey, it forced them to move in a way you could anticipate. Kakashi ignored the instinct to dodge away from his pursuer and just kept running. He was a leaf ninja and he could feel the trees calling to him, offering a hundred places to hide. He was going to find one and wait this out until he could get back to his home and his love.

-o-o-o-o-o-

At full speed, it was still more than an hour before Kiba began to slow. Both men and Akamaru were panting with the strain, but none of them had any thoughts of stopping. Iruka's gaze darted over the trees, searching for any sign that something was here. After several minutes, as their breathing returned to normal and it became easier to hear over his racing heart, Iruka jerked as he heard something in the forest nearby. "Kiba, can you henge into Akamaru for me? I want them to think I've come alone." The boy nodded and cast the jutsu before trotting on Iruka's other side, opposite the real dog.

Iruka stalked through the trees, making no attempt to move silently. He heard the movement hesitate and fall instantly silent, but made no change, moving consistently towards where the sound _had_ been. Reaching the area, he stopped, glaring at nothing and waiting.

After a moment, a dark skinned woman with what looked like acid burns on her face stepped around a tree. Iruka knew his face was unguarded, screaming his anger at the woman. It didn't matter, was even a good thing at this point. Silent, he shifted so she could see the scrolls and after another moment a second shinobi appeared. The shorter man looked at Iruka for a moment before motioning to his companion, sending her leaping back into the trees. The short man smiled at Iruka, deceptively friendly. "Sensei, what a pleasure to meet you."

"Where's Kakashi!" Iruka wasn't willing to play nice or put up false pleasentries.

The man's smile didn't even falter, his stance the picture of relaxed. "Tell me, Iruka-Sensei. What possibly gave you the idea that coming here would be a good idea?"

Iruka's scowl deepened. "Your man is dead. That _woman_ will wish she was so lucky." He shifted again, flaunting the small pouch of scrolls and pulling one out. "This is what you were after, right? Tell me where he is!"

For the breifest moment, the man's eyes glanced at the two dogs on either side of Iruka. The teacher caught the look and growled ever so slightly. "You must know that dogs are pack animals. You really think you could do something to the alpha, let alone try to _take his place_ without facing the consequesnces? Tell me where he is and you may still survive this, though I doubt for long."

The man still hesitated and after another moment, Akamaru stuck his nose into the air, sniffing madly. He and Kiba both took off, dogs following the scent of something. The move startled Iruka and the teacher looked after them for a moment, debating on following. He jerked his attention back to his opponent after only a second, but the shinobi had already closed the distance, first attack speeding for Iruka's throat.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	8. Mission End

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author Notes: **I am levels of HAPPY and ELATED (thought I'd use a big word). As several of you may actually know, I am Crazy in Love with Avatar: The Last Airbender. If you don't know it, just trust me that it's good (there's a reason I consider it Anime even though it's American made - and Nick of all networks). Anyway, Nick was levels of dumb and released the episodes to the UK before they air here, so us Avatards can watch them ahead of time XDD. So yeah, It's Monday (technically Tueasday, though barely) and I just watched episodes 10 and 11 which are the first (and much anticipated) BIG battle and just SO many things happened that I personally have been waiting for forEVER. So, that extreme joy has combined with the super joy of some really nice reviews and the somewhat evil joy of leaving you all with such a NASTY cliffhanger (which several of you have cursed about, though you all seem to still love me). Anyway, much joy equals me posting early XDD. The mission wraps up in this chapter, but you should all know I'm not done yet - I'm done torturing Kakashi, now it's Iruka's turn XD Special thanks to KakaIru-IsMyWorld, who I don't think I've seen before. I have to wonder if you've been reading all along and my evil cliffhanger just forced a review out of you (giggle).

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi was breathing heavily, barely in control enough to do so silently. He was pressed into the hollow of a tree, gaining a few precious seconds to restore his strength as his targets searched for him. The woman was drawing steadily closer and Kakashi prepared as well as he could for a brief battle. One on one, he would have had far less trouble with these people, but not as weak as he was. He needed to down her and gain some more ground.

Silently, he shifted the stolen knife, brutish and inelegent compared to a kunai, but more than capable of inflicting some damage. The woman was close enough now to attack, but he held his breath, letting her take another two steps. She spun without warning, sensing him just as he charged from his hiding spot. Kakashi used small movements, sharp blows and close to the body to economize his strength. It gave her more time to block though and the two struggled for a moment in a lock.

There was a flare of chakra on Kakashi's right, anger and murdurous intent. He shifted his feet to put the woman between him and the threat, but another chakra blazed suddenly to his other side. No time to make a decision, Kakashi fell back a step, letting the two new arrivals face each other with nothing in between. The woman took advantage, breaking the copy ninja's footing and starting to force him to the forest floor.

Past the woman's head, Kakashi could see a white and brown projectile leap into Adel's face. The larger man cried out, clawing at the small dog before it leapt away again. Kakashi could sense weapons flying towards him and forcibly stayed still, trusting them to hit the scarred woman and not him. He hadn't gotten that good a look at the dog, but it had been enough, and if Akamaru was here, then he knew who had thrown the kunai that suddenly forced the woman to retreat.

Kakashi released her, allowing the retreat, but did nothing to stop his fall backwards to the ground. In the same motion, he threw his arm out, hoping his injured fingers didn't mess with his aim. The knife grazed Adel's throat on one side as the man dodged. Kakashi let his arm fall, shaking, before he sat up to watch him run further away. It was a fatal blow, one of the carotid arteries severed.

The scarred woman was running as well, racing through the forest. A second shadow dropped from the trees and gave chase, but Kiba hesitated, glancing at Kakashi. "Go to Iruka," he said after a moment, pointing back into the trees before following the fading ANBU mask.

Kakashi's eyes widened and he stood quickly, ignoring the wave of dizzyness the move brought on. Iruka was here? Alone? And he didn't know where the little fuck that had tortured him was, shit! He took off at a run, frantically sensing for the teacher's chakra.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka stumbled back, barely holding his own. This man was better than him, there was no arguing the fact, but Iruka would give him a fight. He darted in, a small length of rope in one hand, shuriken protruding between the fingers of his other hand. He used the weapons as distraction and tried to hook his trap around whatever limb he could reach.

The shorter man shifted, the rope catching around wrist, but also the kunai he held. He tugged sharply, breaking the line and forcing Iruka a step closer, within easier striking range. The teacher shifted, dodging almost fluid around the sharp strikes. He was able to retreat, but only a second later he realized the pouch of scrolls was gone, pulled free and looped onto his opponant's belt.

The man smirked at him and darted forward again, exploiting the teacher's weaker defences. Iruka blocked a kick, taking the full force on one arm and getting within his opponant's guard. He struck out, managing a solid blow to the man's chest. There was no reaction as he returned the blow, forcing Iruka back again. A feignt with a kunai before he struck at the teacher's head. Iruka cursed himself for falling for such a rudamentary tactic and was barely able to get his guard up in time to block the blow. The force still spun him slightly, his raised arms blocking his view of his opponant for one critical moment. The other was already moving, weapons unerringly seeking the opening.

There was the sound of metal hitting something, but it wasn't the soft sound of flesh or the sharp clang of another weapon. Utterly baffled as to why it hadn't hit _him_, Iruka whipped his head around to see the man again. His eyes widened at the sight; Kakashi, back to the teacher, one arm braced against the man's kunai, what looked like a plank of wood strapped to his arm. Shocked, Iruka let his body move without his brain at all involved, driving weapons into his opponant's now unprotected gut. The small man dropped like a stone.

Iruka's breath was shaking as he looked up, turning wide eyes on the silver haired man that seemed to have miraculously appeared. He smiled widely, looking for all the world like he hadn't been held and tortured for the last several days. Iruka couldn't blink, afraid the man would dissappear again. He had the wrong hitai-ate and his mask was missing, but it was Kakashi. "It really is you, isn't it?"

The overly bright smile faded slightly and the man's eye opened to look at Iruka. "I'm so sorry, Iru-chan. But I'm okay."

He took a step toward the brunette, but stumbled slightly on weak legs. Iruka had a hold of his shoulders instantly. "You are _not_ okay, Kakashi." Finally daring to look away, Iruka looked through the trees frantically. Where the hell was Sato and the medi-nin? "Gods, Ka-kun, what _happened_?"

One hand brushed against Iruka's chin, turning his eyes back to him. "You're bleeding." His thumb brushed along the tanned man's scar, wiping away a bit of the dried blood there. In reflex, Iruka's hand went to the barely-there cuts; he'd completely forgotten about them. Kakashi was staring at them intently. "I tried to protect you. Iru-chan, I did everything I could-"

"You did! Ka-kun, you did. They barely touched me." Honestly, where the hell was the medi-nin, and Kiba for that matter! His desperation growing, Iruka sent his chakra out, hoping to find them that way.

Almost at once, a woman clad in white dropped to their side. "The others are dealing with the last of these people. Kakashi?" The copy ninja was still staring at Iruka, the side of his hand brushing absently along the top of his head. "Kakashi," the woman said, louder this time and with more authority.

He sighed, but didn't shift his gaze at all. "Dislocated my left shoulder and wrist. I set them, but it's not quite right. Blood loss, chakra burnout. I'm _fine_."

At the mention of the injuries, Iruka's eyes skipped over the mentioned body parts and further down his arms. He suddenly couldn't look away from the pale man's slender hands, pointer and middle fingers both at odd angles. The medic's voice almost made him jump. "We need to get back to Konoha." Iruka looked back into Kakashi's eye before looking at the woman and nodding.

Together the three began through the trees, their path less straining, but their pace still swift. After a few minutes, Kakashi hesitated a moment before putting on an extra burst of speed and pulling even with his boyfriend. "Iruka," he breathed, stopping and making the other man stop as well. Without another word, he hooked one wrist behind the brunette's neck and pulled him into a deep kiss. The teacher responded at once, arms locking tightly around ribs he knew were probably bruised or worse. Kakashi didn't seem to mind, but pulled away after a moment. "I knew you'd find me, I knew you would figure it out." Iruka moved to kiss him again, but Kakashi shifted to avoid it. "Iru-chan, I'm going to pass out."

The brunette's eyes widened and his grip tightened, but Kakashi smiled surely at him. As if on cue, his eye slipped closed, body falling limp into the other man's arms. The medi-nin had stopped, backtracking the few yards to Iruka's side and she reached for the unconscious man, but Iruka pulled back, shaking his head quickly. "No." He shifted the man onto his back, draping limp arms over his shoulders and hooking his own arms under the man's knees. "No, I've got him. Let's get back to Konoha."

The woman hesitated a moment, but then smiled at the other. Without a word, she darted into the trees again.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka followed the medi-nin into the hospital, patiently holding his ground as three more rushed to meet them in the reception area. One man hovered by Iruka's elbow while another began shifting Kakashi's weight into his own arms. The third had a gourney and she helped with Kakashi, while the woman that had led Iruka began listing injuries. "Be careful of that shoulder!" she snapped and the others quickly shifted their grips. "Watch his hands as well. Blood loss and chakra depletion, we need to deal with those first."

They began to wheel the copy ninja down the hall and Iruka shifted to follow, but the last medinin took hold of his arm, keeping him where he was. Iruka tried to simply shift out of the hold. "Let go, I need to go with him."

The man tightened his grip. "No, Sensei, you should stay here. Come with me."

Iruka looked back at the man, no attempt made to hide his anger. "I said let go. Kakashi-"

"He's being looked at by the finest medics in the village. You need to come with me so we can make sure you're all right, too."

Iruka ignored the man, pulling again at his arm and turning to look back down the hallway. "He's not going into surgery, I can follow him! You can look at me _there_!" A distant part of his mind knew he was being irrational and needlessly argumentative. In all reality, he probably _couldn't_ follow Kakashi, not if the man needed blood. But that part of him seemed very, very small compared to the need to stay by the other man's side.

The grip on his arm shifted, though not the strength, and there was a sudden pinch at the crook of his elbow. Needle, drugs, something to keep him awake, the prelude to an interregation he _knew_ he couldn't withstand. Iruka twisted suddenly, breaking the needle and knocking it's weilder to the ground. One hand went to the bleeding pinprick, the other flashing through a series of seals.

A hand materialised around the teacher's throat, a strong presence at his back and the sound of something metal being unsheathed. Iruka hesitated, freezing his actions. He swallowed thickly, remembering where he was and focused on not presenting a threat. "I'm all right," he mumbled, barely moving his lips at all. "He startled me is all, I'm okay now." The hand disappeared and Iruka took a deeper breath, turning slightly to see behind him. No one was there, whatever ninja already melting back into crowd and shadow.

Slowly Iruka turned back to the medic; the man was still on the ground, doubtlessly waiting to ensure the teacher really had calmed. Iruka swallowed again and lowered his eyes, guilt making his voice soft. "Sorry. You were going to show me to a room?" At those words, the man stood, leading the way quickly to a small examining room. Iruka was still holding his elbow; he'd broken off the needle point beneath his skin. He sat without protest and waited for the man to examine him.

His hands were sure as they drifted over Iruka's chest and face, examining other injuries before dealing with the one he knew about for sure. "You said I startled you?" he asked conversationally. "Training instinct?" Iruka said nothing and after a moment the man asked again knowingly, "Flashback?" With a sigh he moved Iruka's hand, grabbing a small pair of tweezers to fish out the tiny bit of metal. His eyes lighted instantly on the second puncture mark and he fingered it suspiciously. "What's this?"

Iruka could feel himself flush as he remembered it. "They injected me with something. Uh." He knew the name, he knew the drug family that affected sleep, but he couldn't think of it. "To keep me awake," he finished lamely, frustrated and embarassed at the failure of vocabulary.

The medic frowned at him, abandoning his task to study Iruka's eyes. "You didn't sleep last night?" Iruka shook his head and the other man's frown deepened. "How did you sleep the night before?"

Iruka remembered waking up in the office, though he didn't actually remember falling asleep there. "I slept," he answered vaguely.

"And Thursday?"

Iruka's flush deepened, he could feel it creeping up to his ears. "I got a few hours," he muttered. "Nightmares."

With a sigh, the medic went back to his elbow, extracting the needle tip and slapping a temporary bandage in place. "I'm going to get a sleep specialist in here. Stay_ put_, Sensei." Iruka nodded numbly, watching the door close behind him.

It wasn't long before they returned, the medic going immediately back to treating his injuries while a young redhead – Iruka could only assume she was the sleep specialist – tilted his head and looked into his eyes again. "No sleep through the night? And, what, jutsu?" It didn't seem to require an answer, so Iruka remained silent, only offering the barest nod. "But you slept Friday. How long?"

Iruka floundered, he had no idea. It hadn't been restful and he hadn't looked at a clock at all that evening. "Until my alarm went off, I guess."

The woman's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "_Where_ did you sleep? Your bed?"

Iruka's eyes darted away, belaying the truth before he spoke. "The, ah, office. I fell asleep, uh, reading," he mediated. Medic or not, this woman didn't need to know he'd been clinging to his boyfriend's porn, so stressed he'd fallen alseep without even realizing it.

With a sigh, the woman turned away, sorting through a bag she'd brought with her. "After your nightmares Thursday, did you get back to sleep?" Iruka mutely shook his head and she sighed again. "And Wednesday?" She sounded frustrated, determined to find when Iruka had last slept through the night.

But of course Wednesday had been when Ka- that _thing_ had arrived in the village. "I slept all right, just not straight through. I slept fine Tuesday. All night. No interruptions, no nightmares." If she was going to keep up this line of questioning, Iruka could save some time at least.

The woman nodded, pulling a vile and needle into her hand. "All right, Sensei. How long have you been awake now, thirty, thirty-two hours?"

Iruka was already shifting nervously away from the woman's needle. "Probably a bit longer. What's that?"

She glanced at Iruka before looking back at her work, drawing more fluid into the syringe. "Any drug in your system will keep you awake for hours still. You need to sleep so your chakra can rebalance and you can rebuild your energy."

"Honestly, I'd rather be awake." The redhead glanced at him before putting one hand to her mouth, giving a rather obviously fake yawn. Regardless, it had Iruka yawning moments later and Iruka glared at her. "That doesn't prove anything," he said around a second, smaller yawn.

She ignored him, preparing the shot. "Your body is telling you it needs sleep, so I'm going to make sure you get it. This will keep you unconscious until the other drug wares off and once you pass into real sleep, it will amplify any benefits."

Iruka scowled harder. "Kakashi-"

"Will still be here when you wake up."

Those words made Iruka pause, anger fading as he raised an eyebrow at the woman skeptically. "Have you ever tried to keep Kakashi in a hospital?"

The woman paused, too, for a moment before she smiled. "And on that note, I think his room should be my next stop. Trust me on this, Sensei, you'll thank me Monday." She took his left arm, the one that hadn't had a needle break off already today, and slipped the tip beneath his skin. "I assume you'll be wanting to go to class in the morning?" The teacher nodded, watching as the plunger was depressed. "Then you'll be doubly glad. Goodnight, Sensei."

Iruka's eyes were already slipping closed. Strong hands closed around his shoulders, guiding him down onto the cot gently, asleep before he even got there.


	9. Lessons Learned

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author Notes: **Hey again everyone XD Well, we're done with the actual mission now . . . it's actually possible to end the story here, but I don't want to. The last few chapters deal with my ridiculously evil urge to be mean to Iruka XD Look forward to some lemon, too, and I should have the next short fluffy story up almost right after. Thanks to my reviewers! Hey where'd MikaSamu go? Ah, Anise, you know me so well XD You may be surprised just how close your intuition is (tee hee) Anyway, enough mumbling from me. Hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving (those of you who celebrate it) and I'll see you Friday or Saturday, the holiday may delay me a day, just to warn you.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Someone was shaking him. Iruka rolled, ignoring them and trying to slip back into sleep. He felt like he hadn't slept in _weeks_. The shaking didn't go away, and a voice slowly filtered through the fog of his mind. "Come on, Sensei. You have to get up now, I let you sleep as late as I could. It's past seven thirty, you have class."

Those words broke through quite clearly and Iruka threw his thin blanket aside, sitting up almost fast enough that he collided with the nurse trying to wake him. Frantic, he looked around for a clock, confirming the woman's words. "Why didn't you wake me sooner!" he yelled, accusatory. "I still have to go home and get my things, a change of clothes-"

"I have everything you need, Sensei." Iruka turned to the young blonde. She was holding up a pair of clean pants and his school satchel in one hand, a fluffy towel he recognized from his own bathroom in the other.

But it was seven _forty_! Iruka snatched the towel away, darting into the attatched bathroom and turning on the shower. He stepped into the water before it was even warm, scrubbing away the dirt and blood. They hadn't brought his bath things; Iruka groaned, he was going to smell like antiseptic and _hospital_ all day! He debated leaving his hair to save time, but after running a clean wet hand through it and coming back with muddy fingers, he dumped the sterile, generic shampoo onto his head. Rinsing the last of the bubbles away, he shut off the water and stepped onto the cold tile of the floor.

The teacher ran the towel over his body quickly, already moving into the main room again without a thought to modesty. He saw the nurse blush as he dug through his things and began dressing, but he noticed she didn't look away. Draping the towel over his hair and rubbing with one hand, Iruka dug through his bag with the other to make sure he actually did have everything he needed for the day. Or, everything except a lesson plan since he hadn't had time to make any for this week.

Standing, he ducked into the bathroom, grabbing his vest. "What room is Kakashi in?" he called back through the door. He dropped the towel on the floor, making a note to appologize to the cleaning staff later, and turned back to the nurse. She was frowning as if confused by the question. Iruka struggled not to pull at his hair in frustration. "What room?" he asked again. When she still said nothing, Iruka glared at her. "I am _not_ leaving without seeing him. Not after the week I've had, tell me his room number!"

"213," she muttered. "But he'll be asleep, Sensei." Iruka didn't care, a final check that he had everything and he darted out the door. "Sensei! Other way!" Iruka growled again, seamlessly turning and swiftly going the other way down the hall.

He found the room quickly and paused outside, not opening the door. He took a deep breath and let his chakra flow into the room first. He needed to know Kakashi was really there before he looked at him.

The door slid open silently, revealing the pristine white room. Though pristine didn't seem right, more like sterile, none of the niceities of pristine associated here. Kakashi was indeed unconscious, sleeping quietly on the bed. He still had no mask and the enemy hitai-ate was absent, leaving his pale face completely bared. His left arm was secured in place by several braces and held across his chest in a sling to let it heal. His other hand was tightly bandaged as well and various wires and tubes ran into his elbow and under his shirt, some clear, others red with blood.

They'd brought his dog, Iruka noticed. The little golden pup was curled by the pale man's side, pressed between his body and his arm, also asleep. Iruka stood quietly for a moment, not moving from the doorway. He just stared, watching the slim chest move up and down slowly and listening to the quiet beeps of machines. Silently, the teacher stepped back and closed the door, turning to walk to his class.

He was several minutes late, and havoc, accordingly, had broken out. Konohamaru was standing on Udon's back, trying to jimmy the weapons cabinet open. Akiko and Midori were quite enjoying burying another student in paper and books, while Moeta was trying to force open the locked drawers of Iruka's desk. When the teacher entered, several students darted back to their seats – Konohamaru fell as Udon hurried to stand back up. Iruka waited silently until the rest of the class settled and then set down his bag, leaning against the front of his desk to watch the children.

"Clear your desks, please." There was a resounding groan as their punishment was anticipated, but Iruka began speaking again, bringing quiet back to the class. "I want to talk about what it means to be a ninja." He hesitated, waiting until he had full attention berfore continuing in a soft voice. "Each one of you in here has the potential to be a strong shinobi or kunoichi. Many of you will make wonderful additions to Konoha's ninja ranks, but some of you may choose other paths." Here there were a few muffled protests and Iruka paused again, waiting for silence to return.

"When we think of a ninja, we think of someone strong and brave. We think of thrilling adventures and being able to save people and protect the ones you care about. What we don't talk about, what no one wants to even admit, is the danger. No matter how strong and brave and careful you are, sometimes, ninja don't come back from their missions." Iruka stopped again, knowing full well what the response to that would be.

Right on cue, Konohamaru stood, hands on his desk. "But if we're the strongest we can be safe!"

Moegi nodded her agreement. "Konoha has the best ninja in the whole world. If we train hard and try our best, we'll be fine!"

Ripples of agreement were going through the whole room, but Iruka shook his head gently. "There is no garauntee," he said and the children quieted again. "No matter how strong you become, no matter how well you train, there is always someone stronger. Maybe you will be the strongest in this village someday, but what about another village? What if you are attacked by more than one person?"

"Then my team will help and protect me," a little boy in the back said.

"What if you are attacked by one hundred people?"

"That'd never happen!"

"What if you're alone?" The children quieted again and Iruka ducked his head, looking at the floor. "What if you only have two options: to fight and survive at the cost of someone or something you hold dear, or to die? What if the only way to protect a friend is to be hurt yourself?" Carefully he looked up again, letting the weight of his words filter through his expression and into his students. "There is no garauntee. Ever. Every one of you knows someone who has lost someone important to them. Some of you have lost important people youselves. Can anyone give me an example?" He smiled slightly, though it was still sad, and waited for the message to sink in.

Slowly, a young girl raised her hand. "You mean like Uncle Raidou?"

Iruka nodded, touching his own face where the other man was scarred. "That's right. Raidou is a very strong ninja, but he was still hurt once, very badly."

"My grandpa can't walk anymore cause of a mission," another child volunteered.

Midori looked sadly around the room. "My Mama didn't come back last year."

Iruka nodded again, pleased and sad at the same time as he saw the understanding spread from face to face. Slowly Moegi raised her hand. "Sasuke-san," she whispered.

"That's right," Iruka confirmed, his smile turning somewhat bitter. "Death is not the only bad thing that can happen to a ninja. Shinobi can be hurt or killed on missions, but they can just be lost, too. Pain can come in lots of different ways. Does everyone remember what happened to the Third Hokage?" Little heads bobbed up and down and Hanabi raised her hand, waiting to be called on, unlike her classmates. "What is it?"

"You, Sensei. You lost your mommy and daddy."

The truth of it startled his smile away, but Iruka didn't deny it. "A long time ago, yes. When I wasn't any older than most of you, my mommy and daddy were taken away. They died to protect this village and they wouldn't have had it any other way, because that's what they _wanted_ to do. Thy wanted to protect Konoha and keep the rest of us safe, even if it meant they couldn't stay with me." Iruka's eyes unfocussed, remembering the Fox attack so long ago. "I've lost a lot of people. Friends and family. Students. Someday, though I hope it never happens, I might lose some of you. Someday you might lose me."

It was surer than that. There was no maybe about it, sooner or later, many of the people in that room would lose their lives on a mission. Iruka knew it, and he could see that knowledge on several of the young faces as well. After another moment he straightened. "I want to take you all to see something. You don't need to bring anything with you. A field trip, I want you to see the names of the greatest shinobi Konoha has ever seen. Heros of our village."

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Kakashi?" The silver haired man made no move, gently stroking the dog beside him. Supressing an annoyed sigh, Ibiki stepped further into the room, removing the question from his voice and turning it into an order. "Kakashi."

Slowly the copy nin looked up. "When can I go home?"

The larger man shook his head. "Not yet. Once you've recovered some chakra, we can speed your healing and _then_ you can finish recupperating at home."

Kakashi growled, turning his gaze back to his dog. "Tell them to stop fucking drugging me, it's giving me a headache."

"It's also keeping you in this bed." Ibiki stepped closer and his voice grew more serious, switching from gruff friend to deadly interrigator. "Tell me what happened."

Kakashi remained completely relaxed, even shutting his eyes for a few moments. "There were five of them," he began in his typical drawl. "But after I was captured, I never saw more than three. They were from the Village of White."

"There were two here, that fits. White, huh?"

Kakashi shrugged his good shoulder. "Well, one was at least. One of the names I got was Adel and I don't know anywhere else that has names like that. Blank hitai-ates, too, sounds like White to me." He paused, his hand stilling over the bandages on his dog's chest and leg.

Ibiki sighed, shifting back to 'gruff friend' since Kakashi didn't react to the other persona anyway. "Little guy's alive, but unconscious. We still don't know if he'll pull through, but we managed to keep both the women. If I find out who hurt your dog, I'll let you know. If it's one of them, I'll give you a minute alone with them."

Kakashi nodded and turned his eyes back on Ibiki. "Where's Iruka?"

"Teaching. I haven't de-briefed him yet. Wanted to get it from you, first."

With another nod, Kakashi shut his eyes again – it helped a bit with the headache, which actually meant it was his eye and not the sedatives. His chakra really was still dangerously low. "They wanted information for infiltration. I gave proper filing for mission reports, but no other codes or secrets."

Ibiki nodded, a smile gracing his features. "Knowing that someone would question it if _you_ suddenly turned in a proper report."

Kakashi nodded. "I gave them a lot, but I let him know what was going on." For a moment there was silence and then a grunt of agreement and he could feel Ibiki leave for the time being. He opened his eyes and looked down at the sleeping puppy. "I did what I could."

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi could feel someone at his door, but the sedatives were keeping him in a haze. He blinked in that direction, trying to make out the familiar chakra. The figure took a step forward, stopped. Then it retreated, shutting the door softly. Kakashi tried to stay awake, wanted to know who that had been, but in moments he was asleep again.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka hesitated at the door of the missions room, feeling chakra sweep over him in a check. It faded and the teacher looked around for the source, seeing Ibiki stride around the corner. "What are you up to, Sensei?"

Iruka swallowed, suddenly nervous, as if he'd been doing something wrong. "I was just going to see if the mission room needed my help."

"You don't work the desk much anymore, other chunin are filling the schedual fine right now."

Iruka took a step away from the door, understanding that Ibiki was really telling him to give up that train of thought. Ibiki walked past the teacher, a silent order to follow as he stalked down the hall. "Ibiki-san?"

"I need to talk with you." The man led the way to a small, nondescript room and took a seat behind the blank, plain desk. Swallowing nervously, Iruka took his seat in the single chair facing him. "When did you realize something was wrong?"

The teacher frowned, but he'd known this was coming. "Something felt wrong almost immediately. I knew it wasn't Kakashi Friday morning."

"And you waited to tell anyone until the next day?"

Iruka looked away. "I told Shikamaru Nara on Friday. I told Sato on Saturday."

"With a request not to involve anyone else and a refusal to accept his assistance."

"He would have gotten Kakashi killed!" Iruka bit his lip, trying not to yell at Ibiki. He felt like a naughty schoolchild and he knew he was in trouble. "I thought I still had the situation under control. I was trying to find out what they knew and what they were after."

"You were failing," Ibiki stated plainly. Iruka faltered and fell silent as Ibiki continued. "You were trying to find out what happened to Kakashi, and you failed at that as well."

Iruka looked away, but didn't deny it. "I tried," he whispered, wanting to justify his decisions.

Ibiki sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You tried and you failed. You knew you were in trouble, you knew you did not have the necessary skills to resolve the solution, and you refused the help of someone that did have those skills."

Iruka hung his head slightly, face darkening. Sato had reassured him, as if he agreed with his choices, but Ibiki seemed to feel the exact opposite. Maybe Sato had only been saying that to make Iruka feel better because the situation hadn't been resolved.

"Sensei." When Ibiki said the word, it didn't feel like a title or a form of respect. It was like a curse, obvious disdain in his voice. "You were given the title jounin because of a few skills and that shit with Itsuo and Mizuki." He said it so plainly that it turned Iruka's stomach. "I never agreed with Tsunade's decision, but her bleeding heart combined with power overruled me."

Iruka felt very small in front of this man and his voice was soft, still trying to defend himself. "I've been invited to test in the past."

"But you never did."

"Jounin can't teach at the academy."

"There are reasons for that," Ibiki snapped, forcing Iruka into silence. Ibiki took a deep breath and shook his head. "I've seen what you can do, Iruka. I'm well aware that some of your skills can equal many jounin. I was the one to nominate you for the jounin test once. But you never _took_ that test, Sensei, and you never went through the additional training required for it. Tsunade gave you the title and the clearance and the missions, but you're still just a chunin."

The man sighed, consciously dropping his hands to lower the threat between them. "Look, Sensei. You're a brilliant teacher and you're great with kids. A lot of shit has happened to you that you couldn't control but you're strong enough to overcome all that. I know for a fact you're a good fighter, but you simply _are not_ jounin calliber. You need more training. Just like the kids you pass to become genin, not all of them are actually _ready_. Kami knows Naruto wasn't. That's why we give them to jounin, so they can train and get some practical experience and grow into their rank. _That's_ what you need."

"Please, Ibiki-san." Iruka was staring fixedly at the blank desk, struggling not to let it show his hands were shaking. "I don't want to leave the academy. If that means going back to chunin-"

"We _need_ jounin right now, I won't demote you." There was a pause and Ibiki stood suddenly. "I'm not trying to be a bad guy here, Iruka, I just don't think you've earned everything you've been given. I'm trying to find the middle ground here, so that when something like this happens again, you won't fuck it up so badly."

And something like this would happen again, Iruka heard the silent accusation. It had happened once, it would happen again, it was the nature of things in a ninja village. He'd just spent the entire day trying to get his kids to understand that depressing thought. Iruka blinked as the information replayed in his mind. What he lacked physically, he was well aware he made up with his brains, and Ibiki had already said exactly what he was going to do. The teacher looked up at him, somewhat startled. "You're giving me a sensei?"

"I'm putting you through ANBU training." Iruka paled suddenly and had to remind himself to breathe. 'Real jounin experience and training' was _not_ the same thing as the violent and deadly sparring sessions that passed for ANBU training. Iruka was more than aware he was no match for the select few who wore those painted masks and he was fairly certain he would never be a candidate for those ranks. Ibiki nodded, seeing that the teacher understood, and continued. "If you were a genin I'd stick you with a jounin for a few months and that would be it. Unfortunately for me, you're a schoolteacher, so that approach won't work regardless of rank, I can't send you out of the village for S class missions to see how it's done. ANBU train a couple times a week in the evening, you have no schedual conflicts. And come winter break I can put you through the actual trainer courses. Same effect on a much more manageable time table."

"I-Ibiki-san. I can't . . . I mean you just said I'm no match for _jounin_."

"Don't worry, everyone will know you and your limitations. The goal here is to train you, not kill you." He was moving for the door again, not letting Iruka argue. "Do expect a few injuries, though. Sort of unavoidable with that group."

Iruka felt himself stand, ushered into the hallway again on numb legs. "Ibiki-san-"

"Kakashi may join you for a few, but I'd rather you train alone. And you'll be given a mask, but with skewed colors to make you more identifiable. Don't expect to gain ANBU clearance, Sensei, you'll be blindfolded and led if training ever takes place somewhere you aren't normally allowed."

Iruka barely heard him as the man continued to mutter details. He was starting to have doubts to his sanity.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	10. Training

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author Notes: **Well I'm back to just four reviews a chapter it looks like, but that's all right, I'm much happy with that XD And happy to still be entertaining you. Hello teenagersscareme! Iruka took the kids to the monument - I wanted to say it more directly, but it sort of didn't work into the section, so, now you all know! Love and Death - watch for the short coming after this, you'll get to see more of Iruka training. As always I love you Anise. And hey Hen XD Yeah, Ibiki is an ass (I assume that's what you said - did you know they censor reviews now? Random, but I suppose it makes sense.) Anyway, uh, this is MORE of Ibiki being an ass XD Oh, also - you may guess, but this was written around Halloween. The school set up would never happen, but don't you think that's how it SHOULD be? Most of my info is accurate, you know, to the point that an elementary teacher would tell his students (so they're friendly ghosts and the haunting demons are sort of left out)

**A / N 2: **I have a special announcement, everyone. I have come across a nice girl who is in desperate need of money and I have offered story commisions to try and help out. If anyone likes my style enough to want to request something, please get the info from my profile. XDD Thanks

-o-o-o-o-o-

-o-o-o-o-o-

Halloween was not something that was known in Konoha, not the way it may have been known in other parts of the world. The end of October, however, was still marked by the holiday. Some families took their children door to door, dressed in costumes and begging treats, some families went to shrines to pay homage in a more solemn observation of All Hallows Eve. There was a decently large movement to spread the more traditional observations, decorating doorways with herbs and putting out offerings for the wandering spirits whom the holiday was originaly dedicated to.

It had been decided years ago that the academy would close, giving a break to everyone rather than abandoning those that put actual religious significance into Hallows Eve. In the end, every year, the students were given a vacation with two days off on either side; on the lucky years when the holiday fell on a Wednesday, the kids actually got a full week break. This year, the day was a Friday, which meant that classes would resume on Monday, but they would not meet starting Wednesday. As Iruka's class neared its end, it was clear that all of them were well aware of that fact.

Iruka himself had always had a rather unique view of Halloween. When he was little, his parents hadn't done anything for the holiday and so it hadn't been any more than a school break for him. After the Fox attack, Iruka had learned the history and had been fascinated with the day spirits could walk among the living. He'd stayed up several years, hoping to be able to see his parents and other friends that he'd lost at the time. He had given that up long ago, but because of it, his Halloween ritual was quite unique, and he shared it every year with his students that were interested.

Five minutes left before dismissal, Iruka put away his book, watching as his students's faces lit up. "I won't be seeing some of you until Monday morning," the teacher said with a smile. "I want you all to promise me that you'll be safe over the weekend. If you are going out to get candy, remember not to eat it all in one night or you'll get sick. No pranks! No vandalism, even if it's just funny. Remember to be nice to everyone, they might not feel the same way you do about this time of year." It was a fairly routine speech that Iruka gave every year and he waited for the chorus of 'we promise' before coming to the part that many children were looking forward to.

"Now, I'll be here tomorrow morning at the normal time to start setting up my decorations. All of you should remember it from last year, I hope at least some of you liked it then. Anyone who wants to help me out setting up can meet me tomorrow morning." Iruka would end up doing most of the work, he knew, but it was always nice to have his kids there with him. He'd spend the day teaching the history of the day and the meanings of different herbs and plants as he put up decorations and pictures all around the classroom. He looked forward to it, more so because Kakashi's image wouldn't be joining those of his parents.

The class was dismissed and Iruka sighed. Thoughts of his wild haired lover still made his chest tight. It had been close, he knew, and he still hadn't managed to talk to him since arriving back in the village. Iruka sighed again, walking slowly to the hospitol as those thoughts swam in his head.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Kakashi's head still hurt. His chakra pathways were telling him to sleep, his eye still ached if he tried to use it even normally. But it wasn't all bad news – he'd managed to convince his nurse to get some things from his place. Or, more specifically, he'd convinced her to get Gai and the Magnificent Beast had courageously fetched his things. Kakashi finally had his mask again as well as a replacement hitai-ate which helped with his headache far more than the painkillers they kept feeding him. He'd also managed to convince Gai to bring him a copy of Icha Icha and several dog treats for Ikki-chan, still curled by his side.

His chakra was finally at near-normal levels again and the doctors said they felt comfortable setting his bones that night. They could have done it sooner, Kakashi knew, if he hadn't been siphoning chakra off to metabolize the sedatives out of his system. The nurses hadn't yet caught on that he was faking being asleep when they checked on him.

Speaking of which, someone was coming down the hall. Kakashi shut his eyes and rolled his head to the side, facing on the door. After a moment, the door slid open, a presence hovering just outside the room. The jounin faught off the frown threatening him. Then it was Iruka again, not one of the medical staff. This made the fourth time Iruka had visited and – Kakashi waited a moment, listening – took one step into the room, but then retreated, shutting the door behind him again. Kakashi sat up with a huff. This was getting rediculous, whatever the teacher was having issue with, running away not only wouldn't solve it, but it was getting very annoying to the copy ninja. And now that he was actually awake and with some energy, he could finally do something about it.

His hands had been braced and wrapped to protect his fingers, but there were a few seals he could use freely before the injuries were forced to heal and the braces removed. Fortunately, a simple transportation only required a simple seal. A few seconds later, Iruka was cut off as he went down the hall as his boyfriend suddenly appeared in front of him. Kakashi leaned close even before Iruka had fully stopped, trapping him against the wall.

Iruka remained stunned for a moment before he blinked rapidly at the other man. "What are you doing?" he hissed, falling back on anger to try and recover from the surprise. "You're supposed to be sleeping!"

"I've been sleeping for two solid days," Kakashi groaned. "Besides, _you're_ supposed to be comforting me, and you're not doing your job, either."

Iruka flushed suddenly scarlet and turned his head to the side. This made his gaze land on Kakashi's wrapped hand, however, and he quickly turned his eyes to the floor.

Kakashi stepped closer, sobering quickly at the other's reaction. "Iruka, I know what you're trying to do and believe me when I say it won't work. After all this, you're scared of getting close to me again; I did the same thing when Obito died. But it doesn't work, Iru-chan, you're still going to hurt. Better to take the hurt without losing all the good parts, right?"

For a moment, Iruka simply stared at him, blinking owlish eyes before quickly pulling down the man's mask, closing the distance and kissing Kakashi firmly. "I'm not doing that," he whispered as he pulled away. "I could never do something like that, Ka-kun, you're too much a part of my life."

Kakashi eagerly returned the hugs and carresses the confession was bringing on, well aware that Iruka was lying through his teeth. Maybe he hadn't been aware of it, but Kakashi recognized the avoidance easily. He knew plenty of ninja who checked on friends and companions, making sure they were safe without getting close to them, afraid of being hurt if they did. Iruka seemed earnest, though, and with some effort, Kakashi put it from his mind, convinced Iruka wouldn't fall into that trap without even knowing.

"I'm so sorry, love. It's just hard, I see what they did to you, and it's my fault!"

Kakashi silenced that thought as quickly as he could, sealing the teacher's mouth shut with his own. "If anything, it's my fault for getting caught. For trying to scheme and letting it go on so long to try and catch the bastards-"

"They were targeting me, Kakashi." The masked man paused, pulling back enough to catch Iruka's once more downturned gaze. "They wanted me, to get access to the records. You got hurt because of me."

Kakashi's mouth twitched down in a deep scowl. So he'd been wrong, Iruka hadn't been trying to avoid getting hurt. Subconsciously, he'd been trying to protect Kakashi from getting hurt again. That was so much worse, in a way. Quickly the taller man leaned in for another deep kiss, not pulling away until he felt the teacher sway for lack of oxygen. He leaned their foreheads together, staring with one eye into endless brown depths. "Are you going to be all right?"

Iruka hesitated, a sign that he at least recognized how much he'd been affected by all of this, but he finally nodded. "You need to go back to your room. _Rest_, so you can heal and come back home. I'll be better then, I think." Kakashi nodded, running his wrists across Iruka's hair. If nothing else, he'd be glad to have his hands back simply so he could do this properly and _feel_ it. "Ibiki is going to train me."

All movement drained from Kakashi as well as what little color he had in his cheeks. He was still feeling the blood loss, and going so suddenly pale made him light headed, yet despite that he pulled away from Iruka's support to stare at him with one wide eye. For a long moment he said nothing, looking at the solemn expression on his boyfriend's face. Not a joke, then. And he could see why Ibiki would want to take that step . . .

Yelling and screaming were pushed from his mind in a great display of willpower. Kakashi also ignored the urge to threaten the interregator's life. He opened his mouth to tell Iruka that he'd be there, no matter what, to fix anything that sadist broke, but after a pause, that too was discarded as decidedly unhelpful. Very deliberately, Kakashi shifted his weight back onto Iruka and maneuvered the brunette to help him back to his room. "You aren't ANBU material, Iru-chan," he muttered softly.

Iruka mutely shook his head and Kakashi breathed a little sigh of relief that it hadn't been taken as an insult. "That said," he continued, even more cautiously, "I look forward to seeing you in action against them. I think you'll do far better than anyone will expect." Iruka's lips twitched slightly in a smile and Kakashi sighed again. He couldn't handle this stress, he was still weak!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka woke with his alarm, but stayed in bed for several long minutes. He'd cleaned the entire apartment, with liberal application of bleach and strong citric cleaners. There was no trace of the imposter left, no fake-Kakashi smell in his sheets. Iruka hoped _his_ Kakashi would be released today just so he could set smells right and wake happy.

His mood turned up slowly as Iruka stumbled out of bed and dressed for the day. Civilian clothes; he didn't have class and it would be nice to get out of the mission mindset for a while. He left the apartment and turned towards the school, but hesitated. Talking with Kakashi had made him feel much better the previous day, and he had sort of promised to stop avoiding him. With a little grin, the teacher adjusted his course, jogging to the hospitol.

Kakashi was thoroughly unconscious when Iruka let himself in through the man's window – visiting hours wouldn't start for another few hours. Iruka's baby grin blossomed to fill his whole face on seeing him. He would be weak and tired for days still, but all the bandages and tubes were gone except a couple to monitor his vitals. His chakra was depleted, most of it having been used up the previous evening, but his wounds were healed. The bandages around his hands were gone and his arm was out of the sling. There were still several bits of gauze along his limbs, but it was all for cuts too minor to require specialized attention.

Iruka padded on silent feet to the bed. "Sleep well so you can get out of here, Ka-kun." He bent, brushing one hand through messy hair, and kissed his forehead. He pulled back then, shifting to skritch behind the baby pup's ear. The golden dog nuzzled into his hand, but it didn't wake either. Then Iruka was dashing back through the window, hurrying off to the academy.

For a while, Iruka was alone in his classroom. He wasn't particularly surprised and spent the time moving decorations from storage onto his desk and clearing the walls. It was still well before noon when his students started to show up; Hanabi was one of the first, and Iruka wasn't surprised to see Konohamaru's little gang. All told, nearly half of his class came to help, and it wasn't long before the questions began.

"Tell us about Halloween, Sensei."

"We get to see all the ghosts, right?"

Iruka laughed a little and shook his head. "That's what I used to think when I was little, but no. You should all remember a little of this from last year. The last day of October is the day when lost spirits wander our world. We still can't see them, but they visit the places and people they used to know and miss." He pulled out a carefully woven basket, showing it to the gathered kids. "People used to put out things like this, full of fruit and meat for the spirits. If we give them something to remind them of home, then they can move on at the end of the night, instead of lingering where they might cause trouble or bad luck."

At once small hands were reaching for the basket, filling it eagerly with plastic fruits and vegetables. Iruka smiled again, but after a moment it faded, replaced by a sense of dread. Swallowing thickly, the teacher turned to look at the window. There, in all his scared glory, was Morino Ibiki. He frowned a little, and stalked toward Iruka. "You let me get inside kill range, but I suppose you noticed me before most chunin would."

Once the large man had spoken, the children noticed him as well, and a dozen young gazes were darting back and forth between the two. Iruka moved quickly, stepping away from Ibiki and drawing the kids's eyes. "Why don't you all sort out these herbs and find out what I need to buy today."

"I'm afraid you won't be able to set up your rituals today, Sensei." Iruka's expression darkened visibly. "No school means you have your own class, I'm afraid."

Around him, the children looked disappointed, but there was nothing Iruka could do about it. "I'm sorry, kids. I guess I'll have to set this up later." He carefully put the decorations aside before forcing a smile at the little ones. "Thanks for showing up to help. Don't worry about it, I'll have something up for everyone to enjoy, I promise."

Ibiki was waiting at the door and Iruka kept his smile until he'd followed the man into the hall. "Easily one of the best teachers in Konoha, Iruka-Sensei. I'm sorry to take you away from them, but I did say you'd be training during school breaks."

"You said _winter _break. At the very least, don't patronize me. I'm well aware you'll be enjoying this." Ibiki shrugged, but didn't respond, silently leading the way back to the blank room Iruka had been in two days ago. Once there, Iruka paused beside the chair, looking around nervously. "What training am I doing?"

"The course that is apparently the most critical. Recent events have proven you need a lot of improvment, but your fighting is passable and your mind is probably sharper than a lot of jounin."

Recent events? Iruka gasped, realizing what he'd messed up worst during the last week. He jerked forward, but strong arms closed aroung his elbows, locking his arms behind his back. Iruka looked over his shoulder at a second Ibiki, the clone just as frightening as the original. "Wait a second, Ibiki-san, what exactly are you planning!"

"You're going through ANBU training, Sensei, you know that. You need to learn the techniques to withstand interregation and a live demonstration is the best way to do it." Iruka was forced into the chair while Ibiki secured him in place with some thick rope.

Iruka struggled; the fact that this man was from his village meant next to nothing when faced with the possibility of facing that man's techniques. "Ibiki-san, wait, this won't _work_!" This really had to be some sort of sick joke. "It's not the same! I don't know anything that you don't know already. There's no incentive for me not to tell you whatever it is you'll ask and without that, there's no way to tell if I can withstand anything!"

Ibiki frowned, a little growl coming from his throat. "Don't work yourself up, Sensei. I won't do any permanent damage."

"Does Tsunade even know about this?"

The man's frown deepened – a no. "As for the information itself, there is something that you know that I'd like to learn about." Iruka's eyes widened, all his arguments crumbling beneath him. Ibiki wasn't unreasonable, but if there was something he actually wanted . . . "I'm certain you'll fight to keep this information to yourself, so we'll get an acurate measure of your ability. And when you do break, I'll get more names than just Mizuki and Itsuo."

"N-no. Ibiki, please, there must be something else."

"You once said there were nearly thirty ninja involved, but I only know six names."

"You can't do this! Ibiki-"

The bigger man struck out without warning, punching the back of the chair and just grazing Iruka's cheek, stratling him into silence. "Calm _down_ Iruka. It doesn't matter what I want. You're smart, and that can be a great asset, but not if you let your mind run away with you! What would you do if I told you about my plans for later with fire ants and a funnel?"

Iruka's eyes widened a little more, a whimper coming from his throat. Ibiki sighed, grabbing the teacher by the shoulders and shaking him slightly. "Nothing, Iruka! I've never done anything like that, but do you see how your imagination is _my_ weapon here?"

Iruka nodded, trying to put the strange images out of his mind. This was training after all; information aside, Ibiki _was_ teaching him. And he knew he wouldn't be hurt, but that most likely just meant genjutsu and illusion, Ibiki was a master of psycological torture after all. "Mizuki, Itsuo, Kakashi," he whispered.

"What are you doing?"

"You said you had six names," he muttered, not looking at Ibiki. "Those three are obvious, and you must know about Rinshi to know what I told him. Hotarou and Tohiro are the only others that have any official record, and wouldn't you know, that's six right there."

Ibiki frowned. "Very sharp mind. You need to focus on keeping that clarity throughout anything. Let's see how long it can last; we'll start with something simple. Either Genma or Raidou or both were involved with you. Which one?"

Iruka looked away quickly and Ibiki sighed. "Lesson two, Sensei. Never look away, don't close your eyes. I could do anything in the few seconds you just gave me. And don't forget there's at least one clone out of your field of vision. Your job is to gather information, same as mine, except for _you_ it means knowing what may come next and being able to brace for it."

Iruka looked back up, eyes challenging as he grew more used to the situation, but all his resolve evaporated as a pair of slim arms slipped around his chest from behind. "Sharp some days, but others . . ."

Iruka's eyes snapped closed, breath suddenly coming much faster. It was Mizuki's voice. "Ibiki . . . you can't . . . this isn't _right_."

There was no response from the larger man as he slipped off to the side, out of sight. Mizuki's hand brushed along Iruka's jaw, making the teacher look at him. "Come on, 'Ruka, you're a _little_ smarter than that. Weren't you _just_ told to keep your eyes open?"

-o-o-o-o-o-


	11. Long Overdue

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author Notes: **Huge and giant smiles! Thank you for all my wonderful reviews XD So from what I gather, my inclusion of the after mission mess with Ibiki is _much_ appreciated. Let's see – whoever 'SAVE IRUKA' is, I think that's one of my best reviews ever! Greetings kel, no, no, I suck at fighting scenes . . . though I admit I am proud of the ones in this. To my regulars, to save time, a big group thanks! I love all my reviewers, but you that review every or almost every chapter really do help me. And Mems! Yay, I've forced out another reviewer! I giggle and thank you, several people have told me this is the best of the arc so far, I do like it XD. And finally, an aditional word to Anise. 'This is so low, but then the enemy isn't going to be nice about torture' is a part of a line from her review. I swear I wrote this first section before I saw it, but you must be picking up on my thoughts . . . or writing style XD Oh, and thanks to everyone that said Ibiki was well written! I struggle with making him _just_ right, an evil bastard, but with human undertones, so thanks everyone! On with the fic (and the presumably much anticipated citrus scene) XDD

**A / N 2: **I have a special announcement, everyone. I have come across a nice girl who is in desperate need of money and I have offered story commisions to try and help out. If anyone likes my style enough to want to request something, please get the info from my profile. XDD Thanks

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ibiki watched as his subject shifted uncomfortably in the chair. It was low to use such an obvious tactic, but it couldn't be denied that anyone who learned of the teacher's past would try to exploit it. It had been hours now, but he'd still not gotten any new information. He really hadn't expected the teacher to last so long. They were a long way from done, though. With a sigh, Ibiki turned away from his subject, opening the door and moving to block the view of the room. "What are you doing here?"

In the hall was one very pale, very tired looking Kakashi, leaning heavily against the opposite wall. "Imagine my surprise when I get to the academy and am told Iruka went away for class with the big scary man in a trenchcoat. Since Tsunade hasn't left her office all day, I can only assume they meant you."

"Don't let the Hokage hear you talk about her that way. Were you released?"

Kakashi shrugged. "Really, if I stayed locked in that sterile little room, who would hold up these poor dilapidated walls?" Ibiki frowned at him, but Kakashi ignored him, shifting slightly to the side. "What is he seeing?" he asked, nodding to the teacher, just visible beyond the other.

Ibiki shifted a little, letting the other man see more of the room. "I'm training him. Endurance and ability to withstand. You went through it, you should remember. Tell me, is he always this detatched when he's confronted?"

Kakashi frowned deeply watching his boyfriend. Iruka would shift every few moments, but he wasn't making any real struggle, his eyes were open but blank. Kakashi glared harder at Ibiki. "He stopped fighting Mizuki a long time ago, you won't get any information that way."

"It isn't exactly a bad response to situations like this, assuming we can transfer that reaction to other antagonists."

Slowly, Kakashi pushed away from the wall and drew himself up to his full height. "I do remember, and you have to be more insane than I thought if you think I'll let you put him through that without a fight."

Ibiki reached out, catching Kakashi's elbow as the man swayed. "He needs to learn this, and you're in no condition to make threats. You know I won't hurt him, and you know this lesson is one of the worst, better to get it done with. You need to go back to the hospitol, or hell, home. As long as you rest, Kakashi, he's going to need you when this is over."

Kakashi glared, but he couldn't hide the fact that the other man was holding him up. "He still has class on Saturday. He'll need a day to recover, too, if I remember correctly."

"Then you can come get him Friday morning. If you don't spend the time until then in a bed _somewhere_, I'll cancel the advanced class myself."

With another glare, Kakashi pulled away. "I don't answer to you anymore, Ibiki. If you screw him up, I won't hold back."

"Kakashi, you know if you move against me, your friends will stop you. If you manage to do damage, they'll have to kill you. We both know you won't abandon him like that."

Kakashi looked at his lover once before turning his back and walking slowly down the hall. "And we both know that of my friends, I'm the best. And I don't care what they would have to do, you'd better pray you don't do permanent damage."

-o-o-o-o-o-

As far as Kakashi was concerned, the rest of Wednesday was worse than his entire last week. Twice he got up from bed and paced to the window, intent on going to Ibiki and, if not stopping the man, at least making sure he wasn't being completely ruthless. He _remembered_ the interregation training. He didn't want Iruka to go through it, but it was the skills he'd learned that had saved him from those bastards from White and helped him escape. No matter what Ibiki did, so long as Iruka could withstand, he would recover.

He was at the window again, staring in the general direction of the central building. He couldn't go there. If Ibiki even found out he wasn't lying down, the man would live up to his word and extend the so called lesson. As it was, Kakashi counted himself lucky that Ibiki had agreed to shorten it to only two days. With a sigh, the pale man went to the door, stumbling down the street to the hospital. He was about as unhappy about it as he could be, but if he didn't, he'd get no rest at all. He'd get them to knock him out again and just sleep until he could get Iruka and just forget this whole stupid thing.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Ibiki sighed, watching Iruka from across the room. It was really fascinating, the teacher had done so much better than Ibiki had expected, and they were nearing the end of his time. He'd even managed to throw off the Genjutsu once, something few of his students managed regardless of rank or experience. Ibiki wondered when the man would act on the fact that he'd managed to slip his ropes. He _was_ waiting, hiding the fact that he was free, which was easily one of the smartest things he could do. Ibiki had to admit he was impressed.

He was still controlling his information. If Ibiki hadn't actually wanted it, he would have given the man more leeway by now. He learned quickly and was now a match for jounin, the interregator would admit. Iruka had let slip several names, yet they were all of ninja that had lost their lives, with only a couple of exceptions. He had, however, confirmed all the rumors he was unsure about.

Slowly he stalked forward again, letting his footsteps echo in the small room. It was a fairly standard tactic to increase anxiety, but it also gave Iruka a chance to show if he really was learning. After a moment he paused, just out of striking range. Iruka didn't move and Ibiki let a smile cross his lips. That was good. He took another two steps and leaned close. Suddenly the teacher was moving, using the rope as a weapon and wrapping him up. Ibiki twisted to throw him, but the teacher sidestepped the move. That was a good reflex. Ibiki shifted as well, pinning Iruka quickly to the floor and binding his hands again.The teacher settled quickly to avoid further injury and Ibiki smiled again. He really was learning, an attempt like that may have gotten him away from someone else.

-o-o-o-o-o-

"Iruka?"

The teacher took a deep breath and blinked slowly to try and clear his vision. He looked up slowly until his eyes fell on Kakashi's masked face. Almost at once, the teacher looked away again, gazing over the other man's shoulder.

The silver-haired man reached for the other's wrists, tied to the arms of the chair. "Are you all right? Iru-chan?"

The ropes slipped free, but Iruka still didn't move. He looked at the thin man again, eyes tracing up and down his body.

Kakashi sighed, reaching for the teacher's shoulder. "It's okay now, it's over. You did really good." A pause and he pulled the teacher into a hug. "How much did he get, what did you tell him?"

Iruka's arms came around him slowly, pausing at the waist. "Three weeks gone on a mission. _Days_ without knowing what was going on. And now I'm going through _this_ miniature hell." Without warning, the other man jerked back, just avoiding the kunai aimed for his throat. Iruka had pulled the weapon from his own pouch and glared the man down. "After everything I've been through recently, you have _no right_ to use his face against me!"

Ibiki held his hands up placatingly, quickly dropping the jutsu that disguised him. "You impress me, Sensei." The disdain had left his voice, the title carrying the respect it usually did. "I wasn't lying, you have done very well, and it is over." Carefully he backed to the door. "Your boyfriend's probably waiting to come get you. I hope you do this well in our other lessons, Iruka."

Ibiki slipped out of the room and down the hall, reaching the entrance in moments. He slipped effortlessly behind the man waiting there, a testament to how weak he still was, but Kakashi spun on him well before he stepped from the shadows. The masked man looked a bit startled and looked around quickly. "I was just . . . It's Friday, you said I could get him," he bit out, quickly burying his uncertainty.

Ibiki quirked an eyebrow and crossed his arms. "It's three in the morning."

"I spent yesterday at the hospital, you can check their records. It's Friday morning, I did what you-"

Ibiki held up a hand, silencing the man. "Yes, yes. If I had wanted you to wait until breakfast, I should have said so explicitly. You can take him home."

Kakashi stalked to the door quickly, ignoring anything else the taller man might have said. He was at the room in moments, pushing the door gently open and slinking inside. Iruka had his back to the door, still sitting in the chair quietly. Kakashi waited for the teacher to notice him and when he did he let Iruka be the one to move to his side. He was moving slowly, but didn't seem to be pysically hurt. "Yo," Kakashi whispered as the other man drew within an arms length of him.

For another moment, Iruka was hesitant. Kakashi could imagine what he was thinking, what he was checking; when he'd gone through this, it had been Obito's face that was used in the end. He hadn't liked it and since Iruka had just lived through that for real . . . Almost without warning, Kakashi found his mask pulled down, Iruka fused to his lips, hands resting heavily on his shoulders. The copy nin raised his arms slowly, wrapping them around the other possesively and running fingers through his hair. He groaned just at that, such a simple touch and it helped clear so much of his lingering stress.

One of Iruka's hands slipped up, running through silver locks in return while the other flattened against Kakashi's chest. He gave a little moan of his own, pressing his whole body into the taller man. The move made Kakashi gasp slightly; my but that did feel good. Gods, how long had it been? Iruka deepened the kiss eagerly as the other melted slightly, bringing another gasp from the man. But Kakashi pulled his head away, bracing Iruka's shoulders and turning to the side when the teacher didn't stop right away. "Let's go home." _As quickly as possible_ he added silently.

Iruka just pressed into him more firmly. "No," he muttered, pushing Kakashi back against the wall more firmly and nibbling at what skin was exposed on his throat.

The silver haired man blinked. "Iruka?" he asked, trying to push him back again.

The teacher shifted, pushing Kakashi back almost painfully. "I said no."

Panic flashed through Kakashi's mind. Shit! "Iruka, not here." No reply; shit this was _bad_. Iruka needed to rebalance, needed to get his own mind back in order, but this was _not_ a healthy way to do it. Kakashi didn't want Iruka to start associating sex with everything horrible that had happened to him recently, his feelings about the act were skewed enough as it was. "Iruka, stop this," he said firmly.

The teacher ignored him, moving his hands down to Kakashi's pants and working them open. No, no Kakashi couldn't let this happen. Damnit he was going to _kill_ Ibiki. People who were beaten in their youth had to actively train themselves not to become beaters themselves. Those that were sexually abused were in the exact same situation. Whether he was past it or not, to Iruka sex was a thing of power and power was something he'd had ripped away repeatedly in the last week. Death was too good for Ibiki, he was going to _suffer_ for this.

Kakashi's hands were locked on the other's shoulders, but Iruka dropped to his knees as if the grip meant nothing. Kakashi was still to weak to effectively fight him off without using some move that would do actual damage. But he had to get through somehow. "Rose, damnit," he snapped; the safeword they'd had last time they'd decided to play a bit rough. It still got no reaction and Iruka licked at Kakashi's hot member. His _body_ was certainly happy about this situation, but he couldn't let Iruka do this.

Carefully, fighting shaking muscles and instinct the whole way, Kakashi released his hold, moving his hands back and pressing his palms into the wall behind him. He clenched his jaw shut, struggling not to react to what his lover was doing. For a long minute nothing changed, but then Iruka growled a little in his throat. It sent vibrations through Kakashi's whole body and he groaned loudly. One of the teacher's hands drifted between the other's thighs, stroking the sensitive skin behind his sac. Kakashi's head slipped back, a little cry slipping out of his throat, but his hands stayed at the wall as if glued there.

Slowly Iruka pulled back, though he didn't release Kakashi's hip and his other hand didn't stop its stimulation. "You don't want this?" he asked in a husky voice. His breath washed over Kakashi's erection, which was throbbing in the sudden cold. The silver haired man thought he heard a whimper and realised it had come from him, but he still didn't move. It seemed like an eternity before Iruka moved again, slowly pulling completely away from the other. "You want me to stop," he whispered, his voice suddenly sullen.

Kakashi broke, kneeling quickly and tilting Iruka's face up in a deep kiss. "I need to know you _can_," he said quickly as he pulled back and his need was obvious in his voice. "And you did. If this is what you need now, it's all right."

Iruka leaned forward, again kissing the other and guiding him back to the wall, gentler this time. Then he dropped his head, lips encircling Kakashi's manhood again. Kakashi was glad not to be fighting anymore, and equally glad to be sitting. His muscles were already shaking, close to the edge. He let his hands tangle in Iruka's hair and threw his head back at the sensations and the wicked things the teacher was doing with his tongue.

He lasted only a few minutes before he came hard, Iruka refusing to move and drawing out every last drop. Kakashi shuddered a little as he came down, almost wanting it more now than he had before. The climax had been explosive, but not satisfying, not entirely. He blinked slowly and focused on his boyfriend, realizing for the first time that Iruka was tending to his own need with one hand.

The teacher's face was gorgeous, eyes shut tightly and mouth open in gasps and pants. He was close, too. Kakashi leaned forward again, capturing that mouth and shifting Iruka onto his back. One hand closed around the teacher's, preventing him from continuing, and Iruka whimpered in a plainly begging way. Kakashi pulled away long enough to catch a look at that face and the need in his eyes before kissing him again, tongue gently exploring all of the other's mouth. He pulled Iruka's hand away, replacing it with his own and began pumping.

Iruka's breath hitched, the sensation of someone _else_ doing it almost enough to bring him off. As it was, the knowledge that it was Kakashi – _his_ Kakashi – had him shuddering within a minute. The thin man stayed where he was, sprawled over the teacher and after a few moments to let him recover, one hand prodded at his entrance, wet with the man's seed. Iruka looked up, a little startled. He was exhausted and had assumed Kakashi would be, too. He was a little surprised to see the man was already hard again and when one finger brushed his prostate, Iruka admitted that, no, he wasn't done either. He laid back, arching his back almost wantonly as Kakashi took the time to massage the sensitive spot.

Kakashi worked to make sure Iruka was ready before he pulled his hand away. The teached moaned a little at the loss and Kakashi smiled, shifting his hips to push into the man slowly. He wished they'd taken the time to properly undress, but consoled himself by nibbling at the teacher's neck as his fingers ghosted over his tip. Iruka was taking longer to recover, but by the time Kakashi was fully seated, the brunette was hard again, too.

He took his time, moving slowly and drawing out the feel of this. They were both moaning before long, Kakashi still paying liberal attention to Iruka's neck while the teacher's hands were playing across whatever skin he could reach under Kakashi's shirt, tweaking nipples and toying with sensitive spots. Kakashi wanted this to last longer, but all too soon he felt his body tensing. He shifted his grip again; there was this one spot on Iruka's back that made him moan even when he wasn't even hard. Kakashi's other hand slipped over the teacher's member and the two sensations combined to send Iruka soaring over the edge again with a scream, Kakashi not far behind.

Neither moved for several minutes. Finally it was Kakashi to shift. He moved to the side and back, enough to see Iruka's face clearly without slipping away from him. The thin man smiled, his entire body warming at what he saw. Carefully he leaned in, kissing Iruka's cheek reverently; the teacher was completely asleep, his hands still tangled in Kakashi's shirt. He really was exhausted, Kakashi remembered sleeping for a full day after _each_ of his ANBU lessons, though after being forced to sleep for _several_ days recently, Kakashi couldn't actually imagine doing so now.

Carefully, actually taking care not to wake him, Kakashi pulled away. He gently tucked the teacher away and straightened both of their pants. Iruka stirred slightly as Kakashi gathered him into his arms, but he just shushed him. "Go back to sleep, love, you need your rest." Iruka made a noise that might have been a protest, but he was out again without any real protest. Kakashi repressed a chuckle and snuggled into the man as he made his way to the door.

It was a bit of a struggle to work the knob with his arms full, but Kakashi made it out with minor effort. He rolled his eyes, catching sight of a scrawled 'do not disturb' sign taped to the outside of the door. All right, so maybe Ibiki didn't need to be locked in a dark room with flesh eating gerbils. Kakashi was still debating taking a bit of the man's pinky as payment, but all of that could wait for a day or two while he made sure Iruka was really all right – and thoroughly tired out for that matter.

-o-o-o-o-o-


	12. Homecoming at Last

**Author**: Lily Kalanoa

**Story**: Hints of Deception

**Genre**: Naruto – Action/Drama

**Rating**: M / R

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing but my laptop, which put me into significant debt. All characters and series belong to their respective creators, I just like to torture them, heh heh.

**Warnings**: Yaoi, some explicit – reference to NCS but none in this fic (not really anyway) Also rather bloody at points.

**Pairings**: Kakashi/Iruka

**Spoilers**: There will be some towards the end for the Sound Five story arc. Several for the rest of the 'Reputation Arc'

**Author Notes: **I have officially started posting on LJ. Several of you have said hello on the KakaIru community and I send a big hello back! This is the last chapter for this story – thank you all for hanging in there with me XDD The next bit of fluff one shot story thing will be up in a couple weeks. Look for something with a title along the lines of 'Initiation' or 'Training', I think you'll all like it a lot XD There's another lemon-y scene here, it sort of ran away with me. Honestly, it was just going to be a cute, sort of graphic scene more like the one in the first chapter, but that changed (evil giggle) Thank you everyone who had faith in Iruka, I really am mean to him. And more super thanks for all your wonderful reviews. I like this universe so much and I hope you're all fond of it as well. On with the finale!

**A / N 2: **I have a special announcement, everyone. I have come across a nice girl who is in desperate need of money and I have offered story commissions to try and help out. If anyone likes my style enough to want to request something, please get the info from my profile. XDD Thanks – and thank you kel!

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka was moving before he was actually awake. After a few moments, the world around him set in and he focused on his alarm. The machine had barely gotten off two beeps and was now silent, impaled and pinned to the nightstand with a kunai. That was actually rather impressive, the teacher mused. Iruka didn't keep weapons under his pillow like some shinobi, his nearest were in his pouch, beyond the alarm and behind the lamp. With a groan, Iruka pushed himself up, releasing the weapon. That made five alarms he'd destroyed in just the past half year.

He remembered the last few days in bits and snatches and he groaned again. He'd remember it all later, when he wasn't still so tired; for now he was happy with just a few of the details. Like why his shirt was sticky. The teacher smiled and stripped out of the dirtied clothes. Yes, he was _more _than happy remembering those details. "Ka-kun?" he asked quietly, looking at his lover.

The tousle haired man said nothing, still asleep, and Iruka's grin spread wider. They were in fine shape. Orochimaru himself could waltz into their apartment and surrender and the two of them together probably couldn't bring him down right now. With a blind throw, he tossed his clothing towards the hamper and climbed back into bed. Kakashi shifted a little and yawned as Iruka wormed his way under one of the man's arms. He didn't have class . . . Iruka hesitated, fighting off the urge to just fall asleep again, but after another moment he nodded and closed his eyes. No, he didn't have class, he could succumb to the urge to snuggle, completely guilt free, and that's just what he did.

Iruka was happy to sleep for another two hours before nature's call forced him to get up again. Kakashi was gone and the teacher blinked, rolling over and burying his face in the man's pillow before getting up and stumbling to the bathroom. He remembered the training more clearly now and took the time to think through it as he stepped into the warm stream of the shower. For a few minutes he let the water just wash over him, erasing blood and dirt that weren't actually there but just in his imagination. He didn't hurt anymore, all of that had left when the illusion was dispelled, but the memory of it was still so fresh. The teacher closed his eyes as his thoughts turned to only slightly less disturbing memories of the greeting he'd given his boyfriend. He'd almost lost it, but Kakashi had pulled him back.

The door opened, a brush of cool air interrupting Iruka's thoughts, but the teacher didn't turn at the soft footfalls. He could _feel_ Kakashi, even before the man slipped into the shower behind him. "How are you doing? I saw the alarm clock."

Iruka turned, offering the other a smile and a kiss. Kakashi returned it, but when he pulled away after a moment, the pale man didn't move. He brought his arms up, boxing the teacher into a corner and Iruka's gaze twitched side to side uncertainly. Kakashi was watching him closely, face serious. "I need you to think about it carefully. I need to know if anything is going to trigger with you."

Being closed in was making him a little nervous, but Iruka firmly shook his head. "I think I'm all right."

Kakashi frowned a little. "Think carefully. Hot things, cold things, loud noises. Being confined, not being able to breathe." A pause, and Kakashi leaned a little closer. "Mizuki."

Iruka instantly scowled, his retort loud and angry. "I won't let that bastard destroy my life anymore! Ibiki can't hurt me with that!"

Kakashi was smiling again, wrapping long arms around Iruka's shoulders. "Thank the gods. You really are okay."

Iruka chuckled a little, thoughts of his past slowly evaporating. "You were really worried about me, weren't you?"

Kakashi's hands slipped down slowly, following the path of the shower water. "Yeah, I was. I was worried when I was caught, I was worried when I knew it wasn't me by your side, I was worried knowing what Ibiki can actually _do_. But I never doubted you could figure things out and show that bastard you're stronger than him."

Iruka moaned as fingers drifted over sensitive areas on his back. "None of that matters anymore. Not when you're finally back." Iruka's hands were wandering, too, tracing taut muscles and fine scars. After a minute one hand reached for the faucet, turning it more towards hot as the water gradually cooled.

Kakashi leaned forward then, kissing him again and pressing the teacher back against smooth tile. Too long, and too much stress. He wanted this more than anything else in the world, though that was often true even without life threatening missions. Kakashi shifted, nipping at the man's collar before kneeling slowly, returning the favor he'd received several hours before. The first touch of lips to sensitive skin made Iruka gasp, fingers finding purchase in Kakashi's hair, but the man made absolutely no protest.

Rather than finish the job, Kakashi stood again after only a minute, adoring the whine of protest and the look in Iruka's eyes as he did. "Ka-kun-" The man ignored him, turning Iruka around in his arms so the teacher faced the shower's spray. With a bit of careful maneuvering, he made sure the heaviest part of the stream hit just above the man's groin, and slowly began running his hands over the other's chest.

Iruka groaned at the sensations, twisting a little to try and relieve some of it or get more, Kakashi couldn't actually tell. He also didn't care as the move ground the teacher's behind into Kakashi's own groin and quickly swelling erection. Kakashi pressed forward, keeping Iruka where he was and leaning into him to reach the soap and washcloth. He kept his movements light, gently washing the teacher, taking great care with certain areas. First the chest, making sure to swirl several times around the man's nipples, then down his stomach. Kakashi deliberately stopped at the other's belly button, but took a step back so the water hit lower and Iruka groaned, arcing into it.

One of Iruka's hands was braced on the shower wall while the other twisted back, stroking along Kakashi's thigh and valiantly trying to reach other, more sensitive regions, but Kakashi kept just out of reach. This was playtime, he couldn't let Iruka force him to go faster than he wanted to and the way he was moving was already almost enough to do just that. Carefully Kakashi shifted again, capturing the wayward hand and washing that arm. Iruka groaned again, pulling his other hand from the wall to replace the captured one. "You're a dirty tease," he whispered huskily, reaching further back this time to play along Kakashi's ass.

Kakashi sucked in a quick breath; that was nearly as bad as letting the teacher reach his cock, and significantly harder to avoid. "I haven't gotten to do this in a month," he muttered into the man's neck and let one hand slip between the man's legs. Iruka's knees trembled and his now freed and clean hand quickly braced on the wall again to keep from falling. Kakashi chuckled and leaned forward, licking one of his ears and then whispering into it. "You know I missed you, but I've _really_ missed your body." He abruptly released the man's shaft and captured his other arm, cleaning that thoroughly as well.

Iruka gasped slightly, leaning his head away from the tickle of the other's breath, and answered somewhat strangled, "It's missed you, too, but you're still a tease." Slowly Kakashi turned, keeping Iruka close to his chest, but putting the spray of the shower to his back. He positioned so the water traveled between them, streaming down Iruka's back and washing away the suds as he cleaned, again taking ample time with sensitive areas. Iruka cried out in surprise when Kakashi suddenly slapped his ass, and turned his head to mock glare at the man.

With precise timing, Kakashi pulled them both back so Iruka got a face full of water and had to quickly turn around again, spluttering. This put the spray on the teacher's hair and Kakashi quickly shampooed it twice with one hand. His other hand slipped around the teacher's waist again, massaging his erection without giving nearly enough for release. As the last of the suds rinsed away, Kakashi leaned forward, biting the teacher's neck lightly and bending him forward slightly. Iruka groaned again and braced both hands against the wall, anticipating what was coming next.

What he hadn't expected was Kakashi to take a large step forward, forcing the teacher's whole body against the cool shower tile, which were absolutely frigid against the heat of his erection and the fire dancing over his skin. Iruka gasped, pushing away on instinct, but Kakashi was pressed against him, preventing the escape and nibbling eagerly on one exposed ear. With a little chuckle he muttered "Don't worry, love, I know I can warm you up."

Kakashi's hand was still slick with soap as he coaxed it into Iruka's entrance and the teacher moaned loudly, pushing into the sensation. The shock of the cold made every touch even more vibrant across his skin. Just as the tile was starting to warm from his body heat, Kakashi pulled the teacher's hips away from the wall, hand encircling his erection again as he pushed just his tip inside. Iruka moaned again in bliss, fingers now clinging at the smooth tile to help keep himself upright. He was certain his legs had turned to water, but that couldn't be true since he could feel the shower spray hitting the backs of his knees. Gods, even that felt amazing, stealing his breath away. He wanted to say something, tell Kakashi how good it all felt and to fucking hurry up, but he couldn't pull in enough air to speak.

The silver haired man didn't move for a long minute. One hand continued to toy with Iruka's cock, but too gently to be anything more than more arousing and after a moment, the other hand slid between the teacher and the wall to get at peaked nipples. He gave Iruka enough time to adjust and then without warning thrust all the way into him. The brunette cried out, arching back into Kakashi and for the briefest moment he wasn't sure if he'd hurt him. But the scream faded into a moan and Kakashi was happy to give the man more until they were both near the end.

Kakashi pulled away for the briefest second, quickly turning Iruka around to face him. He caught up one leg and used the leverage to position the teacher again. His other arm went around the man's waist, pulling them together, Iruka's erection pressed tightly between their stomachs as Kakashi started to move again. From this position he could work his hand down, giving just a bit more stimulation to the teacher's balls.

Iruka came hard, screaming another cry into the steam filling the bathroom. Kakashi was close, just another moment and – Iruka put his hands on the copy nin's shoulders and was suddenly free of his hold, slipping away from his need seamlessly. Kakashi's arms were still around him, but the move had been so sudden and unexpected that he didn't have a chance to counter it and Iruka had him backed into the opposite wall almost before he knew what was happening. The teacher had a wicked grin that Kakashi knew a little too well and the copy nin felt his eyes widen.

Iruka slipped down, level with the other's groin, but made no move to offer relief to the straining organ. Instead he quickly stuck two fingers into his own mouth, sucking for a moment before moving his hand between Kakashi's thighs. The silver haired man buried his hands in the teacher's hair, but he didn't move his head, stubbornly refusing to touch the throbbing need.

Kakashi gasped and moaned as the fingers slipped inside of him. It felt amazing, but wasn't enough to send him over. "Fuck, Iruka please. I'm too-Ah!" The teacher curled his fingers, cutting off the other's protest as he brushed against his prostate. Iruka's grin widened and he began moving his fingers in and out, pressing that spot hard. Kakashi lasted only a few moments before he threw his head back with a scream of his own. Kakashi was only vaguely aware of his knees giving out as he slid down to sit under the water's spray.

Kakashi blinked dumbly as he came down. Iruka was curled against his chest, grinning contentedly. He'd stopped the drain with a washcloth and was gently ladling lukewarm water over them both, cleaning away the mess they'd made. Kakashi smiled and tilted the teacher's head up for a long kiss. "That was amazing," he whispered with a sly grin as they pulled apart.

Iruka just smiled, slowly climbing to his feet. "A welcome home present. I wasn't sure I could do it, but the look on your face was worth it." He offered a hand to help his lover up as well. "Ne, Ka-kun. It _is_ still Friday, isn't it?"

Kakashi pulled Iruka close to his side and wrapped a towel around them both. "Yes," he muttered, knowing perfectly well why he was asking. "No class, you can do whatever you want." The teacher nodded and moved toward the bed, Kakashi following since he didn't release his hold. He laughed a little. "Another round sounds good to me."

Iruka smacked the man's chest, but he was smiling, too. "Maybe after a nap." He nestled into the blankets, snuggling more firmly into Kakashi's arms as the man climbed into bed with him. "I'm okay," he whispered after a moment. "And I'm certain it's because I have you back."

Kakashi said nothing, brushing his fingers through Iruka's wet hair. It would tangle if they just went to sleep like this, but that meant Kakashi would have a chance to brush it out later. Yes, he decided, feeling Iruka drop into sleep, missions and training and Ibiki aside, life was pretty good.

-o-o-o-o-o-

Iruka squirmed a little, burying his face into his pillow in open rebellion of the real world trying to wake him up. Then again, that real world smelled a lot like Kakashi, sounded like him, too. The teacher fluttered open his eyes to stare up at the pale man, a distinctly puppyish look on his face. Seeing the look made Kakashi chuckle and he bent to place a masked kiss on the man's head. "Come on, love, you need to get up."

Iruka made a face and pulled the blanket over his head. "Don't wanna," he whined. He was awake now, though, he really ought to get out of bed, and surely Kakashi would reward such good behavior . . . although knowing Kakashi, he was more likely to reward the laziness of staying asleep. Iruka did his best to ignore that second thought and used the first as motivation to poke his head back out. "What time is it?" he asked when his eyes landed on the destroyed alarm.

"A little after two, still plenty of day to go out and do something."

Iruka thought about that and debated pulling the blanket back up over his head. 'Something' involved going out into the world and the world was bright and loud and _cold_. Here was at least warm and Kakashi-filled.

With a sigh, the copy ninja bent, taking hold of the blankets with both hands and pulled them back suddenly. "Time to get up, Sensei. I have somewhere I want to take you."

With a sigh of his own, Iruka consented. "Do I have to get dressed?" he asked as he moved to the dresser.

"Well, you have to put on _something_, but you can be in civvies if you want." Another look at Kakashi showed that he was wearing his uniform pants, but a loose green button up shirt – unbuttoned to what would be indecent levels were he female – and a thick black scarf over the mask and hanging down his chest. With a grin, Iruka leaned forward and slipped a hand inside that open shirt, a little disappointed to find the man's chest was actually covered with a form fitting black tank top. Oh well, it was still a nice feeling. After a moment of this, Kakashi caught the teacher's hand and kissed his cheek again. "Get dressed, we have to go."

The teacher nodded, slipping into a pair of faded jeans and a dark blue sweater. He barely had time to pull his hair back before Kakashi was pushing him towards the door. "You're certainly feeling better. What's the rush?"

The silver haired man laughed a little, not slowing their pace. "It's amazing how good you feel when you actually have chakra in your system. And we have to hurry while everyone is still there."

Iruka blinked rapidly, confused. "Everyone? While everyone's _where_?" Kakashi didn't answer, instead just dragging Iruka towards the academy. Once there, Iruka was finally released outside his classroom door. He looked at the closed door and then back at Kakashi. "What is going on?"

The taller man gave a sigh, obviously pretending to be frustrated, and opened the door, pushing his boyfriend inside. Iruka froze again at what he saw, his eyes widening. The entire room was covered in decorations; small painted pumpkins and colorful leaves, dried stalks of grain and woven baskets full of plastic foods were placed everywhere. Tied in clumps from the ceiling and walls were bundles of herbs, the ones Iruka was going to buy two days before, and they were placed in the appropriate places. The children had decorated for All Hallow's Eve and they'd done a fantastic job.

Filling one entire corner at the front of the room was an elaborate shrine set with candles and fruits and flowers, an elegant statue of Buddha sitting in the center. This was something new, something that had never been a part of Iruka's decorations before. Covering the walls behind it were pictures, some photographs, some hand drawn, and even more were piled in front of it. Slowly, Iruka took a few steps towards the small temple, fascinated, and picked up one of the pictures.

Like a tidal wave, the children rushed to their teacher's side, each clamoring for attention. "Do you like it?" "Look at mine!" "We looked up all the herbs just like last year." Iruka looked around at them, overwhelmed. There were more students than had shown up to help a few days earlier, nearly his entire class was circling around his legs, even the children who normally paid no interest to Halloween.

Kakashi was skillfully avoiding the clamoring of small children, hovering back further among the desks. "You should tell him about the pictures," he called and immediately the children began explaining all at once. Iruka could see Kakashi rub his head slightly and the masked man spoke up again. "Hanabi! _You_ tell him about them."

Slowly the children quieted and Hanabi moved closer to Iruka's side. One hand tugged at the teacher's sleeve while she pointed up at the wall. "All the pictures are of our special people. The people we've lost."

Midori started bouncing, latching onto Iruka's other arm. "If we put their pictures up there, then they'll be protected in the next life!" At this, the rest of the students began speaking and pointing again, each boasting about their own pictures and trying to tell Iruka about who they wanted protection for. There was a pair of pictures pinned slightly higher than the others. One was a photo of the fourth hokage with a suspicious tuft of silver hair in one corner. The owner of the hair was covered by another picture, this one carefully painted of a boy with black hair and bright orange goggles and a pretty brunette girl.

After another moment of this, Konohamaru's voice rose above the rest. "Wait, wait! We haven't told him the _other_ part!" The boy forced his way closer to Iruka's side, grabbing the hand that was holding the picture. "These pictures are different! The ones we put in front are the people we want to protect. That way the people up higher can watch out for the people down here!" Iruka focused again on the paper in his hand – a crayon drawn picture of himself.

Iruka looked up sharply, startled by a sudden flash. Kakashi had an instant camera held to his face, a picture whirring out of the slot in front. He took the photo in one hand and stalked towards the knot of kids. "So what do I have to do to have this picture protected, hmm?"

Iruka could barely move, a shocked smile taking up his whole face. One of the children produced a marker for Kakashi. "You have to put your name on it and put it on the shrine and say a prayer."

Kakashi did as he was told, signing the picture quickly and forcing his way to the little alter. He clapped his hands together and closed his eye, but said clearly, "Don't even think about it."

Iruka, who had waded through the tide of kids to where Kakashi had left the camera, ignored his boyfriend, capturing a picture of the man mid-prayer. He made sure to get as many kids in the picture as possible and vowed to force them into a class photo later. As the photo developed, he took it in one hand, pulling a pen from his desk and signed it quickly. By the time Iruka had finished with his own prayer, the children were clamoring for his attention again, telling about how they'd put all the decorations together. Each child wanted to show the pumpkin they'd helped paint and the leaves they'd collected. After a few minutes of pulling Iruka every way, there was a sudden and loud suggestion to give the teacher a group hug.

Trapped in the middle of nearly thirty kids, Iruka looked around for his boyfriend. When his gaze landed on him, the happiness was clear in his eyes. "You helped with this, didn't you?"

"Only this morning. They did most of it themselves, just for you." The man reached up, slowly pulling down his mask in full view of the entire class (though most of the class was focused on their teacher). "Now aren't you glad I woke you up?"

Iruka didn't answer, locking his lover into a deep kiss. It was quickly ended as the children anxiously pulled their sensei through the room, eager to show him what they had done. Iruka smiled brightly as he was dragged off. "Thank you," he managed to get out before he was pulled to the next group of decorations. The teacher's smile widened and he passed his hands through the sea of students, ruffling every bit of hair he managed to touch. "Thank you all."

-o-o-o-owari-o-o-o-


End file.
